› $150,000,000 verdict in personal injury case
The season is over for Kansas City Royals outfielder Coco Crisp, who will undergo surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder. Royals manager Trey Hillman calls it a “pretty big blow” to the team. Crisp, who began experiencing pain in his shoulder last April, hasn’t played since June 12 after the pain in his shoulder began hampering his production. Prior to going on the disabled list, Crisp’s production dropped from .239 to .261.
Kansas City Royals outfielder Coco Crisp could be out for the rest of the season if the injury to his right shoulder turns out to be a torn labrum. He is getting second opinion from the renowned surgeon Dr. James Andrews. If it is torn, Crisp will have to decide whether to undergo immediate season-ending surgery or to put off surgery in hopes he can play again this season, according to The Kansas City Star.
Many athletes who rely on their throwing motion for their livelihood consider the torn shoulder labrum one of the most fearsome injuries. In many cases, it can ruin a career or at the very least, leave them benched for weeks if not months.
Last February, experts thought Orlando Magic point guard Jameer Nelson was done for the season when he underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder. Recovery usually takes about six months, and over the past four months the Magic began inching toward the Finals. Now it seems, just four months post surgery, Nelson has stepped back into the game to help his team fight for the title against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Nine people in Arizona who claim they were permanently injured by a medical device designed to deliver pain medication to the shoulder joint, are suing the makers of the device for more than $68 million, according to the Phoenix Business Journal.
Postoperative pain pump marketer I-Flow Corporation is facing more lawsuits, this time from a pain pump competitor over the package inserts I-Flow distributes about its On-Q pain pump. Zone Medical LLC claims I-Flow is misrepresenting latex exposure risks and putting patients and health care professionals at risk in order to gain commercial advantages.
Postoperative pain delivery system developer and marketer I-Flow Corporation may be facing lawsuits for needlessly injuring patients by instructing physicians to use their products incorrectly, but the company doesn’t seem to be suffering. The company recently announced that total revenue for the first quarter of 2009 has skyrocketed by 9 percent over the first quarter of 2008 – an increase of about $2.5 million, according to OC Metro.
Manufacturers of pain pumps were denied approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to use the devices in a different manner than what had been previously approved by the FDA for shoulder surgery. But that didn’t stop the manufacturers from advising physicians to use the devices improperly. That improper use has lead to a painful and debilitating condition in many shoulder surgery patients.
There are approximately 140 lawsuits against manufacturers of pain pumps currently pending in state and federal courts throughout the country filed on behalf of patients who had used pain pump devices following shoulder repair surgery that were unreasonably and dangerously defective and caused serious pain and disability. The number of lawsuits has jumped considerably since the summer of 2008, says Frank Woodson, shareholder with Beasley Allen Law Firm.
Surgeons who perform authroscopic surgery to repair shoulder injuries in patients often use pain pumps to help alleviate pain for up to 72 hours following surgery. The pain pumps are devices that hold pain medication that is gradually released into the shoulder area through a catheter implanted in the surgical site. Once all the pain medication has been released into the joint, the catheter is removed by the patient. When used properly, the process offers a beneficial alternative to oral or intravenous painkillers. And most patients can expect a good recovery after physical therapy.
