Boston Personal Injury Attorney Blog
GranuFlo and NaturaLyte were two products made by a drug manufacturer called Fresenius Medical Care. The products were used in dialysis centers operated by Fresenius as well as at other centers throughout the United States.
Unfortunately, the Fresenius dialysis solutions turned out to be very dangerous products that significantly increased the possibility that a dialysis patient would suffer from cardiac arrest. Our Boston injury attorneys believe that Fresenius was responsible for the deaths that occurred due to its defective and dangerous products and we believe that the company will be held liable in the numerous lawsuits that have already been filed. 
Lawsuits Filed Against Fresenius
Fresenius products were used by thousands of dialysis patients throughout the United States, all of whom were put at risk. The problem arose because doctors were not warned that GranuFlo contains a substance that converts into bicarbonates when it is in the body. The solution, therefore, was not mixed correctly by physicians to account for the extra bicarbonates. Too many bicarbonates can result in cardiac problems developing, including catastrophic heart injuries and even cardiovascular death.
As a result of the improper use of the dangerous GranuFlo and NaturaLyte products, many patients did suffer heart attacks or experience strokes. Because these adverse medical events can be traced directly back to the bad dialysis solutions, Fresenius should be responsible for compensating victims who suffered.
Lawsuits have already been filed across at least eight different states in order to hold Fresenius accountable for what the company did. The lawsuits were filed in states including Ohio, Texas, Florida and California and all allege dosing errors that resulted from the negligence of Fresenius Medical Center.
The patients who suffered the deaths due to Fresenius who have already filed suit range in their ages from 23 to age 89. All have something in common though: they suffered as a result of the use of Fresenius’ products and some even died from cardiac arrests or strokes.
These initial lawsuits may be only the tip of the iceberg, as many others who suffered from complications due to GranuFlo and NaturaLyte will likely also take legal action or have already begun the process of doing so. When a product is used as widely as GranuFlo and NaturaLyte, it doesn’t just injure a few people but instead injures thousands throughout the country.
All of these plaintiffs normally join together in class actions and/or in multi-district litigations in order to hold the manufacturer of the defective medical product accountable. In fact, on December 12 we discussed a motion that had been filed to establish a multi-district litigation.
Holding Fresenius Accountable
When there are multiple different lawsuits against a single manufacturer based on a single product defect, then the first lawsuit to go to trial is normally very important. This case will be the first to test in court in whether it can be proved that Fresenius is accountable to its patients for injuries. If the trial ends in favor of the plaintiff and a large verdict is awarded, then Fresenius may be much more eager to settle the case quickly and for a fair amount of money for all plaintiffs.
While this can be a desirable outcome for those who have been injured by Fresenius, you should not wait to see how the lawsuits unfold before you take action if you have been hurt. You have only a limited amount of time to file your claim within the statute of limitations and you want to be sure you have a chance to stand up for yourself and to fight to obtain compensation for your own injury or for the loss of a loved one due to the dangerous Fresenius products.
If you or a loved one has suffered a dialysis injury, contact Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers, LLC for a free consultation. Call (617) 777-7777.