In neighboring Virginia 13 lawsuits have now been filed in the Roanoke area against Insight Imaging, a Virginia based diagnostic imaging service, and The New England Compounding Center (NECC), who produced the contaminated vials of the steroid methylprednisolone acetate responsible for the outbreak. Two deaths, and 51 illnesses, have occurred in Virginia. The lawsuits previously filed in Virginia have sought between $5 million and $10 million in damages, with the most recent suit filed seeking compensatory and punitive damages in excess of $500,000.
As of yesterday The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that since early October the outbreak has spread to 19 states, sickening 541 people, and claiming 36 lives. Before yesterday Maryland residents had seen 25 illnesses and one death from the outbreak. However, The Baltimore Sun reported yesterday evening that the CDC has confirmed that there has been a second fatality in Maryland. More details are expected to be release by the CDC later today.
In a troubling development, The Boston Globe reported findings by federal and state authorities that regulators repeatedly passed up opportunities to crack down on the NECC blamed for the outbreak. Furthermore, even though compounding pharmacies (like NECC) are supposed to provide drugs on an individual, prescription-by-prescription basis, NECC was instead mass-producing and mass-distributing its drugs. Exactly how the deceptive and unethical practices of the now closed NECC escaped local and federal regulators for so long is now of great interest to the present investigation.
If you believe you or someone you love was exposed to meningitis from a tainted steroid injection, you could be due monetary compensation for medical bills, loss of wages, or other suffering. Please contact an experienced personal injury attorney at the law offices of Ingerman and Horwitz at 1- 800-776-4529 or use the link here for a FREE consultation. With five offices conveniently located throughout Maryland, from Cumberland to Baltimore, to Salisbury, we have the optimum blend of legal experience and diversity to tirelessly fight for your rights.
