March 28th, 2006

"Hospital and Drug Company Sued For $1.1 Million in Medical Malpractice Lawsuit"

In a 21-count medical malpractice, wrongful death, and product liability lawsuit against Gateway Regional Medical Center in Illinois and drug manufacturer Pfizer, the son of a woman who suffered a heart attack claims the hospital and drug company’s negligence and fraudulence directly resulted in his mother’s death.

Jerry Coonrod claims his mother was admitted to Gateway hospital after she suffered a heart attack, which he says was linked to the prescription pain reliever Bextra, which she had been using for more than two years.

The lawsuit alleges the hospital failed to administer proper medical care and treatment for Betty Coonrod to rule out a heart attack. Additionally, Coonrod believes Gateway failed to provide a timely transfer to a qualified facility for maintenance and treatment.

Coonrod also seeks damages from drug manufacturer Pfizer for personal injuries, death, and economic damages his mother suffered due to Bextra use.

Bextra is in a class of drugs known as Cox-2 inhibitors and was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2001 as a pain reliever. In 2005, the FDA ordered Bextra and similar drugs to be pulled from the market when studies revealed the serious adverse side effects linked to the use of the drug.

The lawsuit alleges that Bextra was made and sold to his mother despite its dangerous defects, which subjected patients to an increased risk of heart attack, strokes, and other illnesses.

“Had Pfizer properly disclose the risks associated with using Bextra, Betty would not have taken it for the treatment of pain,” the complaint states.

Coonrod also claims that Pfizer failed to provide consumers with adequate warnings on the drug label. “The warnings given by Pfizer did not accurately reflect the symptoms, type, scope, or severity of the side effects,” the complaint states.

According to the lawsuit, Coonrod believes the drug company was aware of the adverse side effects of Bextra, but actively concealed the information when marketing the drug to consumers. “Pfizer’s failure to disclose material facts constituted fraudulent concealment,” the complaint states. “Pfizer’s conduct was done with conscious disregard for safety.”

Coonrod seeks $1.1 million in damages from Gateway and Pfizer for pain and suffering, medical bills, costs of the suit, and more.