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• What Is Salmonella And What Are Its Effects?

  M. Brandon Smith | February 16, 2007 8:56 PM | 1 CommentAtlanta, GA

  With the recent salmonella outbreak concerning Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter many people are asking the question, what is salmonella and what are its adverse effects? The short answer is that salmonella is a infectious bacteria that attacks the intestines and blood stream in most humans. The most commons effects of salmonella are diarrhea, fever, abdominal cramps which typical occur...

• Save That Peanut Butter Jar-It Is Evidence

  M. Brandon Smith | February 16, 2007 11:22 AM | 1 CommentAtlanta, GA

  When pursuing a peanut butter salmonella outbreak claim it is very important to NOT throw away the jar of peanut butter and its lid despite what others are saying at this time. It will be a very important piece of evidence in the future. Keep it in a very safe place where no one will use it again and mark it with a danger sign or note. Do not however write on the jar itself. Put it in a...

• 2 Dead And 14 Injured After A Van Runs Off The Road In Georgia

  M. Brandon Smith | January 17, 2007 11:03 AM | 1 CommentAtlanta, GA

  In a rather unique accident, a 2001 Dodge Ram carrying 20 passengers recently crashed into a tree after running of the road in LaGrange, Georgia earlier this week. Of the 20 Hispanic passengers, 14 were injured and two died as a result of the crash. Authorities investigating the scene said the van was returning from a trip to Florida but they are still uncertain as to why the van ran off the...

• Jaw Death Linked To Fosamax

  M. Brandon Smith | October 17, 2006 5:16 AM | 1 CommentAtlanta, GA

  Osteonecrosis of the Jaw, also known as Phossy Jaw or Dead Jaw, is a very serious condition caused by the blockbuster osteoporosis drug Fosamax. Manufactured by Merck & Co., Fosamax is a nitrogenous bisphonate that has been linked to jaw death in many unwary consumers. As of 2004 the FDA asked Merck & Co. to add a suitable warning to its Fosamax label but Merck failed to do so for fear of losing...

• Cipro And Other Antibotics Need Stronger Warning Labels

  M. Brandon Smith | August 31, 2006 9:56 AM | 1 CommentAtlanta, GA

  Fellow InjuryBoard blogger Bob Carroll of Tampa Bay, Florida brought my attention to a rising number of concerns relating to certain antibiotics like Cipro that are in need of stronger warnings on its prescribing labels. Cipro and other similar antibiotics from the fluoroquinolone class have been linked to tendon injuries in the past but now as the use of these drugs grow in popularity, so do...

• Unlike A Good Neighbor State Farm Is Not There

  M. Brandon Smith | August 26, 2006 12:53 PM | 1 CommentAtlanta, GA

  State Farm, the nation's largest insurance carrier now finds itself at the fore front of a major scandal involving fraud, deceit, and out right criminal activities. In a recent story shown on ABC's 20/20 two former State Farm employees detail their experiences with the insurance giant in refusing to pay otherwise viable claims for those devastated by Hurricane Katrina. It is the first part of an...

• $500 Fine For Cell Phone Users Who Cause Accidents

  M. Brandon Smith | August 25, 2006 4:09 PM | 1 CommentAtlanta, GA

  DeKalb County now has a new law: if you talk on your cell phone and cause an accident while doing so you can expect an additional $500 fine. The new Georgia law sanctions drivers whose improper use of a mobile phone was "a contributing factor" in causing damage, injury, or death. Thought to be the first of its kind in the state of Georgia, it should hold negligent drivers more accountable for...

• 2 Teens Killed In Tragic Car Accident

  M. Brandon Smith | August 21, 2006 5:15 PM | 1 CommentAtlanta, GA

  Two East Paulding High School teenagers died last week after the vehicle they were riding in ran off the road last Thursday evening. The two victims, 16-year-old Rianna Winchester and 17-year-old Jonathon Hicks were riding in the back seat of 17-year-old Daniel Barron's vehicle when he lost control of the vehicle and caused it to overturn several times. No formal criminal charges have been...

• Actonel Same Problems As Fosamax?

  M. Brandon Smith | June 15, 2006 7:00 AM | 1 CommentAtlanta, GA

  I was recently asked about Actonel, a bisphosphonate used to treat sufferers of osteoporosis, and if it was known to cause osteonecrosis like Fosamax, Zometa, and Aredia. The short answer is YES. All of these drugs are members of the family of drugs known as bisphosphonates. A link has been found between bisphosphonates and a bone disease called osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ). Bisphosphonates...

• Merck Sued Over Fosamax: Class Action Forthcoming?

  M. Brandon Smith | April 13, 2006 9:38 AM | 1 CommentAtlanta, GA

  Everyone knows about the thousands of lawsuits the drug marker Merck is currently facing in regards to its now recalled drug Vioxx that reportedly increased the risk of heart attacks and strokes in it consumers. Now a Tennessee woman, Gwendolyn Wolfe, has filed suit over another Merck drug called Fosamax. Fosamax is a drug designed to combat osteoporosis but has been reported to cause patients'...