The following summaries represent selected cases litigated by Slack & Davis attorneys. In some cases, details of the case and recovery amounts are confidential, as required by settlement agreements and State Bar of Texas advertising rules. Results depend on the facts and circumstances of each case. Often, recoveries are limited to the amount of available insurance.

• Multiple recoveries for six cases involving deaths or severe injuries from Baycol, manufactured by Bayer. Each case was settled individually. Baycol (cerivastatin) is one of the "statin" class of drugs. Due to at least 31 deaths in the United States, Bayer withdrew Baycol in August 2001 after marketing its product aggressively. The deaths were attributed to the condition rhabdomyolysis, which is the breakdown of muscle-cell membranes and release of the contents of muscle cells into the bloodstream.
• Confidential settlement in death claim from a patient's use of another statin, Zocor. Our client suffered kidney damage, a side effect not revealed by the manufacturer.
• Separate recoveries for two clients who took a contaminated pharmaceutical product and suffered serious injuries.
• Lead role in negotiating the confidential terms and amounts of the nationwide Norplant settlement for 1,400 women against American Home Products and Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories, the makers of Norplant. The women using Norplant were not adequately warned about the implanted contraceptive's serious side effects.
• Serious injury from patients' use of Celebrex and Vioxx, two drugs prescribed to persons with chronic pain symptoms and commonly used by persons with arthritis. Heart attack, stroke, blood clots and colon damage are harmful effects that have are being evaluated in persons prescribed these medications.
• Death claim from patients' use of Propulsid, which our client was taking and suffered a fatal arrhythmia. This product was withdrawn from the market after many deaths were occurring among Propulsid users.
• Serious injury claim for a client who suffered severe liver damage after taking Dilantin (an anticonvulsant) and acetaminophen. Warnings of the dangers of the interaction risks were not properly disclosed on the prescription label or other product information.
• Cases involving liver damage related to Rezulin, a Type II diabetes medication that has been removed from the market.
• Injury cases related to the use of phenylpropanolamine, or PPA, commonly found in many over-the-counter medications, including appetite suppressants and nasal decongestants. PPA was removed from the market because of concern about PPA's role in causing strokes in some users.
• Stroke cases related to the use of ginko biloba, an herbal supplement commonly taken to counter effects of aging, such as memory loss.

If you have questions about pharmaceutical products or medical products that may have caused problems please contact our office.