Settlement Approves $110 Million for Wrongful Deaths and Injuries Caused by Untested Drug Used on Premature Babies
DALLAS, April 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Attorneys for the victims of one of the most bizarre chapters in U.S. medical history have won a $110 million settlement of a class action lawsuit that left hundreds of premature babies with life threatening medical conditions and killed at least 38 children. Three executives of the companies that made and sold the drug were sent to prison for selling the unapproved drug to hospitals across the county. Plaintiffs from 33 states and Canada will receive compensation under the settlement.
"It took years of litigation and research to pry relevant information from people trying to hide what happened," said class counsel Dwain Dent, of The Dent Law Firm in Fort Worth. "This was a cover-up of massive proportions but the legal system allowed us to find the truth and make sure the victims of this horrific tragedy received justice."
The supplement, E-Ferol, was marketed in the mid-1980s and was advertised as a way to help avoid blindness in premature babies. Instead, the material used to liquefy the vitamin proved toxic. In the 4 1/2 months the product was on the market, hundreds of babies throughout the U.S. were injured. In total, 369 plaintiffs took part in the class action litigation that was finally settled in April.
"Evidence showed that the company knew it was putting babies in danger and sold the product anyway," said Dent. One in-house memo told pharma executives to "use your ingenuity" to get around the problem.
"This case is one of the worst instances of corporate greed I have seen in my long legal career," said Fred Streck, also a class counsel. After the investigation by the Center for Disease Control, the lawyers at The Dent Law Firm found that some hospitals tried to cover-up the issue by refusing to tell parents they had administered the drug to their children, forcing a prolonged legal battle. Many of the children who survived were left with a lifetime of serious medical complications from the illegal drug.
Defendants in the case included manufacturer Carter-Glogau Laboratories of Glendale, Arizona and distributor O'Neal, Jones & Feldman Pharmaceuticals of Maryland Heights, Missouri.
About The Dent Law Firm
Dwain Dent found The Dent Law Firm in 1990. Dent has been recognized as a Texas Superlawyer by Texas Monthly Magazine and as one of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers by the American Trial Lawyers Association. Mr. Dent is board certified in personal injury trial work by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, the State Bar of Texas and the National Board of Trial Advocacy. He has extensive healthcare pharmaceutical and general tort claim representation.
Fred L. Streck, III, has been recognized as a Texas Superlawyer by Texas Monthly Magazine and as one of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers by the American Trial Lawyers Association. Mr. Streck is board certified in personal injury trial work by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, the State Bar of Texas and the National Board of Trial Advocacy. He too has extensive healthcare, pharmaceutical and general tort claim representation.
SOURCE The Dent Law Firm
WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM?
Newsrooms &
Influencers
Digital Media
Outlets
Journalists
Opted In
Share this article