The MedLaw Legal Team of Janet, Jenner & Suggs, LLC is investigating claims nationwide of catastrophic injuries from shoulder pain pumps. The firm has been one of the leaders in filing lawsuits against the pump manufacturers and the makers of the drugs used in them. The press release below describes the litigation the MedLaw Legal Team has been involved in on behalf of pain pump users who have developed Postarthroscopic Glenohumeral Chondrolysis, or PAGCL.

If you have been diagnosed with PAGCL after using a pain pump, you need legal help -- and you need it now. Fill out our online contact form or call us at 1-888-4-MED-LAW for an evaluation of your case.

Janet, Jenner & Suggs, LLC Seeks To Consolidate Pain Pump Litigation

Baltimore, MD – May 15, 2008 - The following statement was issued today by the law firm of Janet Jenner & Suggs, LLC (Baltimore office):

JANET, JENNER & SUGGS, LLC has filed a Petition with the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation seeking transfer, coordination and/or consolidation of all product liability actions pending in federal courts concerning the use of intra-articular pain pumps following arthroscopic shoulder surgery. Patients seeking MDL consolidation have all developed Postarthroscopic Glenohumeral Chondrolysis (PAGCL), an extremely painful, debilitating condition resulting in a destruction of the patient’s shoulder cartilage. This Petition was filed in coordination with Michael L. Williams of Williams, Love, O’Leary & Powers, P.C. and Laura B. Kalur of Kalur Law Office, both of Portland, Oregon.

According to the Petition, there are 13 related cases pending in federal courts throughout the United States, including Alabama, Colorado, Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota, New York, Oregon and Utah. It is believed that there are hundreds, if not thousands of similar cases being investigated and prepared for filing by attorneys around the country. The related actions seek to hold pain pump manufacturers and drug companies liable for encouraging physicians to use the devices to deliver pain medication directly into shoulder joints following arthroscopic surgery, contrary to uses approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The cases allege that both the device companies and the drug makers misled doctors into believing that the procedure posed no danger to their patients.

An October 2007 article in the American Journal of Sports Medicine reported a link between intra-articular pain pumps and PAGCL. Some surgeons use the pumps for pain management because they deliver the medications directly to the shoulder and also boost the effectiveness of oral painkillers for up to 48 hours. However, the article reported that use of the high-volume pain pumps following surgery resulted in patients developing PAGCL which caused extreme pain and lifelong suffering in 63% of patients who receive these pain pumps.

Symptoms of PAGCL include:

• Pain at the shoulder, whether at rest or in motion
• Increased shoulder stiffness
• Popping or grinding when the shoulder is in motion
• Decreased range of motion
• Loss of strength in the joint

In 2006, at a meeting of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, evidence was presented demonstrating a relationship between the use of pain pumps and PAGCL. Diagnosis of PAGCL can be made with an x-ray. The only treatment for PAGCL is another more painful, surgical procedure known as arthroplasty that uses artificial parts to replace the damaged joint. Many younger patients will need multiple shoulder replacements as they age.

“Manufacturers of pain pumps, and the manufacturers of drugs that go into them, need to be held accountable for their neglect. Neither of these groups of defendants conducted any studies to determine the safety of these pain pumps, and neither warned physicians about the hazards of these pumps.” said Robert K. Jenner, a partner with Janet Jenner & Suggs, LLC. “The results are predictably devastating. The consumers inflicted with shoulder chondrolysis are facing a lifetime of pain and future surgeries. Consolidated lawsuits in this MDL will help our clients get the compensation they deserve,” Jenner continued.

Anyone experiencing symptoms associated with PAGCL following the implantation of a pain pump should seek medical attention immediately. There are currently several lawsuits pending against the manufacturers of the most popular pain pumps, including Stryker, DJO Inc., I-Flow Inc. and BREG, Inc.

JANET, JENNER & SUGGS, LLC has established a registry for victims of PAGCL to document their injuries and illnesses. If patients have undergone surgery in which they received a pain pump and are concerned that they have developed PAGCL, they can go to www.pain-pump-lawsuits.com and register their complaints and/or injuries. Upon investigation, registered complaints of injury will be forwarded to the proper authorities.

If you believe that you or a loved one has developed PAGCL as a result of receiving a pain pump and want to discuss your rights, please contact Janet, Jenner & Suggs, LLC (Robert K. Jenner, Esq. or John J. Cord, Esq.) toll free at 1-888-463-3529 or 1-410-653-3200 or via e-mail at pain-pump@medlawlegalteam.com.

For more information about the law firms or about PAGCL, please visit myadvocates.com/dangerous-drugs-medical-devices/pain-pumps-cause-instead-of-help-serious-shoulder-injuries.

CONTACT:
Janet, Jenner & Suggs, LLC
Robert K. Jenner, Esquire
John J. Cord, Esquir
1829 Reisterstown Road, Suite 320
Baltimore, Maryland 21208
1-888-463-3529 (toll free) or 1-410-653-3200
Or by e-mail at pain-pump@medlawlegalteam.com

About Jenner & Suggs, LLC and Cohen & Malad, LLP

The law firm of Janet, Jenner & Suggs, LLC is a nationally recognized law firm dedicated to representing victims of defective medical devices, prescription drugs and medical malpractice. Each of the firm’s principals is named in The Best Lawyers in America® and Super Lawyers®. The firm has offices in Baltimore, Maryland; Columbia, South Carolina; and Asheville, North Carolina, and accepts clients and referrals from patients and attorneys throughout the country.