Product Defects

Published on: January 24, 2020

Zantac Cancer Injury Attorneys in California

Millions of Americans have been prescribed Zantac or have taken it over-the-counter to treat the symptoms of acid reflux. Californians who have taken Zantac or its generic ranitidine may be at risk of developing cancer. While many people in California have relied on this drug and have assumed it is safe, research has recently demonstrated that Zantac and ranitidine contain a known carcinogen, and the drug itself may interact with other substances to form the carcinogen in the body. The personal injury attorneys at Steven M. Sweat Injury Lawyers APC represent people who have developed cancer because of this dangerous drug.

What is Zantac?

Zantac is a brand of ranitidine that may be prescribed to treat ulcers of the stomach and intestine and to keep them from returning.[1] It is also used to treat several other digestive problems, including the following:

Published on: January 7, 2020

Allergan Breast Implant Defect Injury Lawyers in California

by Steven M. Sweat

Allergan-Breast-Implant-Injury-Attorneys-California

Many women in California and across the U.S. have received breast implants, including for breast reconstruction after breast cancer. Other women have chosen to get implants to enhance their appearance. Women who have received implants should be able to feel confident that their implants are safe. Unfortunately, however, one of the most popular types of implants, the BIOCELL® Textured Breast Implants and Tissue Expanders, were the subject of a voluntary recall by Allergan on July 24, 2019. Allergan’s voluntary recall was issued after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a safety advisory about the breast implants.

If you have received the BIOCELL implants, you may have grounds to file a lawsuit against Allergan. The product liability attorneys at the law firm of Steven M. Sweat, Personal Injury Lawyers can help you to understand the legal options that you might have.

Which Allergan breast implants are included in the recall?

Published on: December 20, 2019

Juul Vaping Injury Lawyers California

by Steven M. Sweat

Over the past decade, vaping and e-cigarettes have greatly increased in popularity. This is especially true among young adults and teenagers. While the smoking rates among teenagers have fallen for decades, Juul and other e-cigarette devices are reversing the trend.

The National Institutes of Health conducted a survey of 44,000 teens in 2018. According to the study, 37.3% of teenagers in the 12th grade reported that they vaped. This was a sharp increase from the 28% who reported vaping in 2017, and there are few signs that the number will decline. Unfortunately, Juul and other e-cigarette devices are dangerous and can cause serious injuries and addiction.

What is Juul?

Published on: August 6, 2019

California Military Earplug Lawsuit Attorney

by Steven M. Sweat

If you are a current or former member of the U.S. military who has a hearing loss or who suffers from tinnitus, your condition may have been caused by defective combat earplugs. These earplugs were sold to the government by 3M and are called the Combat Arms Earplugs, Version 2 or CAEv2. In 2018, 3M reached a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice and agreed to pay $9.1 million for its failure to disclose that the earplugs were defectively designed. These defects led to hearing losses and tinnitus in thousands of military service members who used them.

The Los Angeles injury lawyers at Steven M. Sweat APC are currently reviewing defective earplugs cases to veterans who have suffered hearing losses or tinnitus after using the CAEv2 earplugs. The earplugs were used by service members who served from 2003 to 2015 and were olive and yellow in color. If you remember using these earplugs and have suffered a hearing loss, contact our office today for a free case review from an experienced California attorney.

The contract with 3M & Aearo Technologies

Published on: June 25, 2019

Johnson & Johnson Hit With $10M Jury Verdict in California Talcum Powder Case

by Steven M. Sweat

baby-powder-lawsuits-attorney-california

Products manufacturers have a duty of care to warn consumers about the potential dangers of their products. They also are not supposed to release unreasonably dangerous products into the market. If a product is defective, is unreasonably dangerous, or has inadequate warnings, the manufacturers may be liable when consumers who have used the products in an intended manner are harmed as a result. In Schmitz v. J&J, Superior Court of the State of California, Alameda, Case No. RG18923615, the jury returned a substantial verdict to a California woman who contracted mesothelioma after using talcum-powder products that were manufactured by Johnson & Johnson and Colgate for decades.

Factual and procedural background

Patricia Schmitz, a former fifth-grade teacher, is a 61-year-old California woman. Her mother applied baby powder containing talc when she was an infant. Beginning when she was 13, Schmitz began using talc-based products daily after her shower. She used Colgate-Palmolive’s Cashmere Bouquet on a daily basis from the time that she was 13 until the 2000s. She also used Avon’s Night Magic at some point in time. Her mother had used Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder on her when she was an infant.

Published on: July 31, 2013

Stryker Hip Replacement Surgery: An Important Component To Rejuvenate Defect Lawsuits

by Steven M. Sweat

What is Stryker hip replacement?

In the world of medicine, Stryker Hip Implant was one of those surgical procedures that required no clinical trial due to the fact that it was similar to previous generations of hip prosthetic devices. Because it was such a ground breaking technology, one that seemed ingenious ever since it was tried, it quickly gained popularity in the medical community as remedy to hip dislocation and joint problems compared to previous generations of hardware.

However, over the years post-surgery complications have increased in patients who have undergone this procedure. In its initial years, medical practitioners claimed that Stryker was a not a metal-on-metal hip implant, unlike other older devices. Therefore, it was deemed to be a success. However, the smaller metallic components in this device used at the junction of the joint itself have created so many complications that a significant percentage of patients have experienced chronic pain and serious complications a few months following the the surgery.