Boston Personal Injury Attorney Blog
The New England Compounding Center caused widespread illness throughout the United States when the pharmacy released steroid medications that were contaminated with fungus. More than 749 people throughout the United States were made ill as a result of NECC’s contaminated drugs, according to the government’s accusations. The illnesses ranged from infections at the injection site to fungal meningitis. 
Our Boston injury attorneys know that the victims sustained significant financial loss due to NECC’s medication. Unfortunately, the New England Compounding Center has limited funds available to compensate the victims who were harmed by the dangerous drugs. Now, however, the Tennessean reported that some victims have begun pursuing claims against sister companies related to NECC.
NECC Sister Companies Sued
The New England Compounding Center has filed for bankruptcy protection. Because the company is bankrupt, there are limited or even no funds available to provide compensation to the 749 people the compounding center injured. Whether the pharmacy had liability insurance will also be determined by the courts. There were a reported 61 deaths as a result of the fungal meningitis outbreak, and the family members of those who were left behind will need significant sums of money to compensate them for a lifetime of lost wages and lost companionship.
Those who were harmed by NECC still have bills to pay and need to get those costs covered. One woman, for example, spent more than a month in the hospital with fungal meningitis. She has now filed a lawsuit in federal court to try to obtain compensation for the medical bills and costs that she was forced to pay. The lawsuit has been filed not against NECC but against other companies with a common ownership link.
There are a number of different companies with common ownership links including Ameridose LLC, Medical Sales Management Inc., Medical Sales Management SW Inc., GDC Properties Management LLC and ARL Bio Pharma Inc. These companies could potentially be better financial targets for a lawsuit than NECC because they have more money available to cover losses.
The injured plaintiff is also pursuing a claim against a local clinic that used spinal injections as a method of treating chronic pain. The plaintiff alleges that the clinic switched to using medication from NECC because the prior supplier increased the price of a steroid that they used by $2.45 per vial.
The complaints have only been filed recently so it is unclear whether the clinic or NECC’s sister companies will be held responsible for the losses and damaged caused by the contaminated injections from the compounding center. However, the hundreds of patients throughout the country who were injured now have new options to explore as potential sources of compensation.
The patients who were harmed by NECC deserve to be compensated or “made whole,” for losses and since the compounding center does not have the money to pay for the damage it caused, it is natural and expected for plaintiffs to seek monetary damages from others who could be held responsible. An experienced attorney can help injured victims to determine all potential sources of compensation for their particular claims.
If you or a loved one was injured by defective drugs, call Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers for a free and confidential appointment — (617) 777-7777.
More Blog Entries:
Update on New England Steroid Injection Bacteria Outbreak, Boston Personal Injury Attorney Blog, June 22, 2013.