Johnson & Johnson Faces 33 Tendon Rupture Lawsuits Involving Levaquin
October 23rd, 2008 • Filed Under: News • 2 Comments
According to court documents filed in the Levaquin MDL, Johnson & Johnson currently faces at least 33 tendon rupture lawsuits involving their popular antibiotic. However, that number will likely grow substantially over the next few months, as Levaquin lawyers throughout the country continue to investigate hundreds of other cases.
A formal status conference was held on October 17, 2008, before U.S. District Judge John R. Tunheim who is coordinating the litigation that was recently centralized in a Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) in the District of Minnesota four months ago.
There are 30 Levaquin tendon rupture lawsuits that have already been transferred to the MDL, and Johnson & Johnson also faces at least three more cases that have been filed in various state courts, according to minutes from the conference released by the Court yesterday.
Levaquin is an antibiotic used for the treatment of upper respiratory infections, urinary tract infections, prostatis and other bacterial infections. It belongs to a class of antibiotics known as fluoroquinolones, and has been associated with tendon toxicity and an increased risk of tendon ruptures, most frequently involving the Achilles tendon.
At the status conference, the parties and the court discussed the anticipated scope of the MDL, pretrial orders on various case procedures, the discovery plan and the process for selecting bellwether cases, which will be the first Levaquin lawsuits prepared for trial.
In pharmaceutical lawsuits and other complex litigation, the first cases to go through discovery and trial are referred to as “bellwether” cases, since they are selected to be representative of the issues that will be presented throughout the litigation.
As we reported on Monday, lawyers for individuals who have suffered ruptured tendons have urged the court to front load the early discovery with eight cases that were filed directly in Minnesota, which would allow the cases to be tried before the court that is overseeing the MDL. However, Johnson & Johnson’s lawyers have sugested that insufficient information has been provided about those cases to judge whether the Minnesota Levaquin cases would be the most appropriate bellwether trials.
According to the Minutes from the conference, the Court directed the plaintiffs to provide fact sheets on all eight cases providing basic information to the defendants. Johnson & Johnson will then need to provide the Court with a counter proposal concerning bellwether trials and a plan for case-specific discovery.
At this early stage of the litigation, it is unclear how many lawsuits will ultimately be filed in the MDL, and it often takes several years for cases of this nature to resolve. Personal injury lawyers are actively advertising for individuals who have suffered Levaquin tendon ruptures.
Comment by Pat on 5 December 2008:
My husband has has 3 tendon issues since 2006.
Comment by Sarah on 20 May 2009:
I am a 66 year old patient with COPD. Otherwise I was very healthy and strong.
I was prescribed levequin twice for lung infection.
I was taking the drug during a vacation to the Bahamas, when on Sept 26, 2008 my right heel begen to hurt. The pain became excruciating, the t 7, 2009foot, ankle and leg became swollen and inflamed. The next day the left ankle started the same pain and swelling.
The ankles and foot where bruised under the swelling and it was too painful to walk.
I came home in a wheel chair..
My Doctor misdiagnoised, saying it was nothing more than fluid retension. Gave me a persciption for a diuretic and sent me on my way.
I bought a cane, still in excruciating pain, and went to Maine for a week.
The pain was so bad, I returned home with no energy to walk from the couch to a chair.
I went to my pulmonary Doctor who called an ambulance to take me to the Hospital accross the street. I had Neumonia. 11 days in the Hospital bed with attention to my lungs did not releave the leg and ankle pain. An exray was taken and a test for blood clots were done with good outcome.
On the 10th day a neurologist was sent in to look at me. I went to his office after release from the Hospital. I was checked and found not to have a nuerological problem, but he and his partner suspected ruptured achilles tendons.
I was sent for an MRI, diagnosed with boot achilles tendon ruptured.
The surgery was done on the right leg December 2008, nursing home and rehab.
The surgery on the left on Feb 13, 2009. I contracted a staff infection (mersa) and went thru the wound care process and a skin graff.
I just began to walk in May 2009.
After 7 months it is still very painful. Hopefully rehab will let me walk better, HOWEVER
Nothing will be able to replace the lung capacity I lost during this terrible time.
I intend to get an attorney. I think I deserve my bills to be paid, plastic surgery on my scared legs and all opportunities to participate in stem cell research as one of the subjects with COPD.