With Accidents On The Rise...The Public Needs To Be Diligent

One person was injured when his car crashed into the back of a school bus Wednesday morning in Mastic, officials said.

Suffolk County fire officials said no one aboard the bus, which was serving the Center Moriches School District, was injured in the 7:05 a.m. crash on Mastic Road. Police said 20 students were on the bus when it was hit from behind by the 2012 Mazda as the bus slowed to stop, as required by law, at a railroad crossing.

School district officials could not immediately say which school the bus was serving. A spokesman for the Adelwerth Bus Co. declined to comment.

For accident attorneys that care and will work hard for your rights, call 516.741.5252

Are Municipalities Tricking You? - By Phyllis Sanders

There is a big secret many municipalities don’t want you to know!

In a big city or town there may be a defect that is dangerous and can cause injuries. If you say this you probably would want to report it to the proper authorities. You certainly wouldn't want anyone to be injured. But how do you alert the correct people? You might go on the appropriate municipalities website. You would be prompted to make a phone call or send an email. If the municipality does not do a prompt repair after you have alerted them, and someone is injured the municipality could still claim they did not have proper notice. Why is this? In order to properly notify a municipality of a dangerous defective condition, you must send a certified letter to the appropriate party in the

 municipality. This letter should be sent return receipt requested. This is the way it must be done to be a legal notice. If you follow the proper procedure and someone is injured he or she would be entitled to make a claim for money damages against the municipality.

The municipality is being disingenuous when they tell you to phone in the complaint or to email it. The notice requirement is draconian and shields the municipality from its negligence in making proper and prompt repairs when necessary. 

Allegations Chemo Drug Taxotere Causes Permanent Hair Loss

ARCH 21, 2016By: Whitney TaylorDANGEROUS DRUGS

The chemotherapy drug Taxotere has been touted as a powerful cancer fighter for many years, helping those with some types of cancer find effective treatment for their illness.

However, one of the potential side effects related to Taxotere, permanent hair loss, has not been widely publicized by the drug’s manufacturer, Sanofi. Patients who have not been warned about this potential side effect may be diagnosed with permanent alopecia after their cancer treatments.

Now, some of those patients are considering legal action against Sanofi, claiming lack of adequate warnings left them at a distinct disadvantage when choosing their cancer treatment.

What is Taxotere?

Taxotere is a chemotherapy drug prescribed to treat some types of breast, lung, stomach, prostate, and head and neck cancers. It is also currently under investigation for the treatment of additional cancers, including ovarian, bladder and pancreatic cancers. The drug is given intravenously and dosing depends on the type of cancer and the patient’s height, weight and overall health.

Taxotere and hair loss

Taxotere is linked to numerous side effects common with other chemotherapy medications, including nausea, diarrhea, fatigue, weakness, and hair loss. However, while temporary hair loss is a common byproduct of some chemotherapy treatments, permanent hair loss is not typical. In fact, Taxotere is the only medication at this time that has been linked to reports of permanent hair loss among some cancer patients.

No warning of permanent alopecia

To date, the warning label for Taxotere in the US has not indicated the drug could cause permanent alopecia or hair loss. This has left some chemotherapy patients vulnerable to permanent disfigurement without knowledge that they were putting themselves at risk. Even more troubling is the fact that other chemotherapy medications that are just as effective as Taxotere are not linked to permanent hair loss.

Despite the lack of a proper warning, studies have indicated permanent alopecia may be a risk with Taxotere for some time. According to a recent product liability lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in California, a 2005 study known as the GEICAM 9805 demonstrated that nearly 10 percent of the test patients that took Taxotere in this study suffered persistent alopecia that lasted at least 10 years and five months. In 2006, a Colorado oncologist noted that more than six percent of the patients he treated with Taxotere continued to suffer with hair loss for many years after their treatments.

In December 2015, the FDA acknowledged there have been reports of permanent hair loss in some patients using Taxotere. That announcement by the FDA preceded a label change for the product, noting the possibility of permanent hair loss.

Seeking legal action

Now, individuals like the plaintiff in California are filing lawsuits against Sanofi, alleging the company did not provide adequate warnings about alopecia risks. Those plaintiffs are seeking damages for their permanent disfigurement, asserting that if they had known about this risk with Taxotere, they would have chosen a different chemo drug.

The plaintiff in California is seeking damages in excess of $75,000, which necessitated the lawsuit filing in federal court. This plaintiff, like others now pending in courts across the country, states in her complaint that Taxotere use left her with “severe and permanent injuries that are lasting in nature.”

Product liability lawyers at The Sanders Firm are are currently reviewing cases involving Taxotere hair loss. For a free evaluation of your case, contact our offices today at 1-800-FAIR-PLAY.