Meningitis Outbreak Lawsuit Over Recalled Epidural Steroid Injections

Austin Kirk

By Austin Kirk
Posted October 5, 2012

ADD YOUR COMMENTS 4

The product liability lawyers at Saiontz & Kirk, P.A. are reviewing potential claims for individuals diagnosed with fungal meningitis after receiving epidural steroid injections made by a compounding pharmacy, which have been linked to dozens of illnesses and deaths throughout the United States.

The meningitis outbreak has been linked to contaminated epidural shots of preservative-free methylprednisolone acetate, a steroid used to treat back pain through direct spinal injection, which was manufactured by the New England Compounding Center.

It may take up to a month for symptoms of meningitis to appear, such as:

  • Dizziness
  • Fever
  • Nausea
  • Severe Headache

Financial compensation may be available through a meningitis lawsuit for individuals who received an epidural steroid injection prior to developing this disease.

CONTACT OUR LAWYERS ABOUT A FUNGAL MENINGITIS LAWSUIT

STEROID INJECTION FUNGAL MENINGITIS PROBLEMS

Injury Lawyers

Have You Been Diagnosed with Fungal Meningitis?

REVIEW A CASE

According to information provided this week by the FDA and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), at least 35 people have been diagnosed with a rare fungal meningitis and the number of cases is expected to continue to increase in the coming weeks.

Tests have found fungus linked to the outbreak in sealed vials at the New England Compounding Center (NECC) facility in Framingham, Massachusetts, which compounded the injections and shipped them to medical providers throughout the United States.

The compounding pharmacy has reportedly suspended all production and has recalled all of its injectable products as the investigation into the lethal outbreak continues.

At least 75 clinics nationwide received vials of the contaminated epidural steroid shots, and some report having given the shots to hundreds of patients. A total of 17,676 single-dose vials were believed to have been distributed, and only several hundred were returned unused.

Given the widespread use of the vials and the numbers of people who reportedly were injected, health officials expect the number of people diagnosed with meningitis after receiving an injection to continue to climb.

▸ More Information: Epidural Injection Meningitis Problems

FUNGAL MENINGITIS LAWSUIT EVALUATIONS

Meningitis causes inflammation in the lining of the brain and spinal cord. It can be caused by viruses, bacterial infections or fungus. It is not contagious and not transmitted between humans.

The lawyers at Saiontz & Kirk, P.A. are providing free consultations and claim evaluations for individuals who have been diagnosed with fungal meningitis or are seeking medical treatment for problems that developed after receiving an epidural steroid injection or other compounded medication received from the New England Compounding Center.

All potential fungal meningitis lawsuits are handled on a contingency fee basis, which means that there are no out of pocket expenses to hire an attorney and our law firm only receives a fee if we are successful obtaining a financial recovery in the case.

To determine if you, a friend or family member may be eligible for to pursue a claim, request a free consultation and claim evaluation.

4 Comments • Add Your Comments

  • Ann says:

    My husband in 2001 went through a series of three epidural steroid shots. After the second shot he complained it did not help at all and in fact, he felt worse. He called his orthopedist of Torrington, CT. and requested the third shot sooner than it was scheduled to be done. The second shot was given on September 11, 2001. On October 9th he had another Dr appointment and collapsed just prior to walking into the Dr’s office. I, with help, got him into a wheelchair and proceeded into the office, only later to find out from a co-worker that he had periodically been collapsing during the month prior. He was started on oral steroids and went, during the week of treatment, from a walking person to a non-walking person. He was able to ambulate with two Candian crutches as he ended up partially paralysed from the waist down with a neurogenic bladder. From then on he had to be catheritized.
    It wasn’t until October 25th that the diagnosis of Cryptococcal Meningitis and Adhesive Arachnoiditis came into play. He did not have HIV.
    His whole story is too long to go into now but he continued to have a major medical problem during each fall of the years he lived. He died in January of 2009 at the age of 67 having suffered terribly those eight years!
    I don’t know if this is a result of what you have found but can and will give you more names, history and medical information if you think so.

    Posted on October 6, 2012 at 5:30 pm

  • Sandra says:

    In 2001 ater having my son I had a epidural which caused a blood clot the while at home I complained of right leg low waist and sciatica pain, started limping, then went to Hospital (Both Yale and St. Raphael’s, received epidural shots in buttock and spin, caused to loose my eye sight, nerve root damage, was paralyzed waist down, etc, nerve root right side damage, I now started back receiving methylpredisone shot in the spine, which cause me cyst, etc. Can u help me even though it was in 2001, and then now again, I now did receive shot ater May 2012, complained of same problems again, was shot in the spine, etc. in 2001 i was diagnosed with neuropathy, permanently disable, nerve root damage, tested by cbc said it was a noninfectious inlammatory disease, alot to my story,hope i have a case because I did not know anything about what caused my disabilty, i have all my MRI from 2001,

    Posted on October 28, 2012 at 3:27 am

  • gonzalo says:

    i went through 11 of those epidural injections for my ruptured discs. Also had disc surgery, with the injections i have all the symptoms described on the menengitis outbreak! but the wa. clinic said they didn’t get the steroids from the massachusets store or pharmacy. regardless my symptoms have worsened after the injections and i have right leg numbness due to too much numbing medication, is what the surgeon told us at post surgery. tough, tough rd.! especially when your only 44yrs. old. this was an on the job injury. urinal problems have become a factor too. 🙁

    Posted on November 24, 2012 at 2:00 pm

  • David says:

    This Epidural Meningitis outbreak is now on one of the most recent episodes of ‘AMERICAN GREED’ on CNBC

    Posted on January 28, 2020 at 12:38 am

Add Your Comments

  • Have Your Comments Reviewed by a Lawyer

    Provide contact information below and additional private comments if you want an attorney to contact you to review a potential case.

    The information below will not be published to this page.

  • NOTE: Providing information for review by an attorney does not form an attorney-client relationship.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.