Major companies like TikTok, Meta, Snapchat, Instagram, YouTube, and others are facing lawsuits filed by individuals who have become addicted to social media or developed other mental health issues from their use of social media.

Teens and young adults are becoming increasingly concerned about social media addiction, which has a serious negative influence on their mental and emotional health.

Sleep, academic performance, and in-person social relationships can all suffer from the obsessive urge to be connected and constantly use social media platforms.

Comparison with social media influencers and peers can also heighten feelings of inadequacy and lower self-esteem. It can also expose users to carefully chosen content that might worsen anxiety and depression.

Major social media platforms are being sued on the grounds that they cause mental health issues like anxiety, depression, body dysmorphia, eating disorders, suicide, suicidal ideation, and more.

By pursuing compensation for those harmed, lawsuits seek to hold social media companies responsible for their failure to provide sufficient user protections against dangerous content, addictive algorithms, and other forms of harm.

Multidistrict litigation (MDL) is already being used to consolidate social media lawsuits, and our attorneys are currently taking on new clients from all over the nation.

You might be able to sue the social media platform or business in question if you or a loved one has suffered because of social media addiction.

Wagstaff & Cartmell may be able to assist you in pursuing compensation as we have experience with these cases.

For a free consultation, please contact us by using our online form.

The first bellwether trial for the multidistrict litigation (MDL) accusing Facebook and other social media platforms of harming young people by fostering addiction has been scheduled for late 2025 by U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in California.

In a comprehensive scheduling order issued Thursday, Judge Rogers outlined a series of dates leading up to the first bellwether trial, set to commence with jury selection on October 14, 2025. However, she has yet to determine which case will serve as the bellwether, detailing a three-step process for selection in her order.

The initial step involves creating “bellwether discovery pools” for two categories of cases within the MDL: those brought by parents alleging personal injury and cases brought by school districts. Judge Rogers aims to establish a dozen cases in each pool, with both plaintiffs and defendants selecting six cases each, to be completed by mid-April according to the order.

Subsequently, Judge Rogers will narrow down each pool from 12 cases to 10, with assistance from the parties’ submissions and oral arguments. Finally, she plans to hear arguments by the end of June 2025 regarding the sequence in which the cases should be heard.

The MDL, which originated in early October, consolidates 28 suits previously spread across 17 federal courts nationwide. These cases are being centralized for pretrial proceedings in the Northern District of California. Additionally, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation identified 56 related actions that may be transferred to Northern California as tagalongs at a later stage.

All lawsuits allege that social media platforms failed to adequately warn users about the mental health risks associated with their use, including addiction, suicidal ideation, anxiety, depression, and eating disorders.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is cautioning healthcare professionals against implanting Exactech Equinoxe shoulder systems manufactured before August 2021 due to defective packaging concerns that may elevate the risk of early issues with the shoulder replacements.

The FDA issued a safety communication on January 16, highlighting that these shoulder systems were shipped in packaging with defects that could potentially expose the components to oxygen, leading to oxidation before the shoulder replacement is implanted in patients. Such complications may necessitate additional surgery or revision surgery to address the failing implant.

Federal regulators are drawing parallels between the recent issues with Exactech Equinoxe shoulder systems and the broader manufacturing problems that prompted a significant recall of Exactech knee, hip, and ankle implants in 2022. Despite this, Exactech has chosen not to initiate a recall for the potentially defective shoulder replacements.

In February 2022, Exactech faced a recall of more than 140,000 knee replacement systems, impacting Optetrak, Optetrak Logic, and Truliant knee replacements, along with 1,500 components used in Exactech Vantage ankle replacements. Similar packaging problems affected Exactech Novation and Acumatch hip implants, leading to a recall in June 2021. The hip recall was expanded in August 2022, encompassing an additional 40,000 joint replacements at risk of premature failure.

The repercussions of these issues have manifested in over 1,500 lawsuits filed against Exactech, each claiming that patients experienced complications when the components degraded and failed due to oxygen exposure before implantation.

Legal Assistance

If you or a loved one has the Equinoxe Shoulder System implanted, Wagstaff & Cartmell is here to help.  Our experienced product liability lawyers can evaluate your case and guide you through your rights.  Time limits may affect the filing of your case so you must act promptly.

Contact us via email at mcutler@wcllp.com or call our office at (816) 701-1100 to discuss your case. Wagstaff & Cartmell is dedicated to seeking justice for those affected by these recalled products. Let us assist you in understanding your legal options and pursuing the compensation you deserve.

Introduction: This recall, prompted by a malfunction involving a broken or missing retainer ring, has raised concerns about the potential for insulin overdose or underdose, with serious consequences.

Recall Details: The recall encompasses more than 3000,000 pumps in the U.S., following more than 25,000 complaints, in excess of 2,000 injuries and even reported deaths.  Users were urged to check for retainer ring damage, discontinue use if found, and seek medical advice for alternative insulin dosing or symptoms of illness.

Device Overview: The MiniMed Insulin Pump, which features multiple models, is a compact device designed for automatic insulin delivery.  It operates on the principle of a “closed-loop” system, aiming to mimic an artificial pancreas.

User Instructions and Health Risks: Users have been advised to inspect their pumps for retainer ring integrity, cease usage if damage is detected, and contact healthcare providers for manual insulin dosing guidance. Signs of hypo or hyperglycemia should be monitored closely, and severe symptoms treated as medical emergencies.

Recall History: This is not the first time Medtronic faced recalls for its insulin pumps. Prior recalls involved concerns ranging from cybersecurity and software vulnerabilities to mechanical malfunctions, suggesting recurring safety challenges associated with the MiniMed devices.

How We Can Help: Contact us via email at bhenry@wcllp.com or call attorney Brandon Henry at (816) 701-1127 to discuss your case. Wagstaff & Cartmell is dedicated to seeking justice for those affected by these recalled products. Let us assist you in understanding your legal options and pursuing the compensation you deserve.

 

If you or a loved one has suffered serious injuries, including third-degree burns, after using Megadyne Medical Product, Inc.’s Mega Soft Universal Patient Return Electrode, it’s crucial to understand your rights. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has classified the recall of these electrodes as Class I, signifying the most severe level of recall due to the potential for severe injuries or even death.

Recalled Products:

·       Megadyne Mega Soft Universal

·       Megadyne Mega Soft Universal Dual

·       Megadyne Mega Soft Universal Plus

·       Megadyne Mega Soft Universal Plus Dual

·      Distribution Dates: October 1, 2021, to December 4, 2023

·       Devices Recalled in the U.S.: 9428

Device Use and Risks: The Mega Soft Universal Patient Return Electrode, crucial in surgeries involving electrosurgical instruments, has been linked to severe burn injuries, including third-degree burns. This device is intended to ensure patient safety by providing a safe return path for electrical current during procedures, minimizing the risk of electrical burns. However, the reported cases of burns have led to extended hospital stays, scarring, and additional surgeries, particularly in pediatric patients, with potential long-lasting impacts.

Who May be Affected:

·       Adults and children undergoing electrosurgery using MEGA SOFT Universal Reusable Patient Return Electrodes.

Legal Assistance: If you or a loved one has suffered serious injuries after exposure to Megadyne’s Mega Soft Universal Patient Return Electrode, Wagstaff & Cartmell is here to help. Our experienced product liability lawyers can evaluate your case and guide you through your rights. Time limits may affect the filing of your claim, so it’s essential to act promptly.

How We Can Help: Contact us via email at bgriffith@wcllp.com or call our office at (816) 701-1100 to discuss your case. Wagstaff & Cartmell is dedicated to seeking justice for those affected by these recalled products. Let us assist you in understanding your legal options and pursuing the compensation you deserve.

Olympus Machines linked to serious injuries and death

Wagstaff & Cartmell is investigating claims victims may have against the manufacturers of these devices.

The bronchofiberscopes and brochovideoscopes are tubular devices that work with accessories like cameras and lights to examine or treat a person’s airways.

Olympus Corporation of the Americas (Olympus) is recalling certain bronchofiberscopes and bronchovideoscopes because they may lead to burns or catch fire.

The bronchoscopes may cause serious injuries, including critical burns in a person’s airways or lungs, airway bleeding, trouble breathing, apnea, loss of consciousness, or death. Injuries may lead to prolonged procedures, additional medical care, extended hospitalization, ICU care, and death. Combustion can damage or break parts of the device that may injure or unintentionally remain in the patient and may require retrieval or surgical removal.

Olympus knew about the problems with these devices, but continued to keep them on the market.  Olympus pointed users to the warning section in the operator’s manual, highlighting steps to avoid adverse events. These include “stop performing high-frequency cauterization while supplying oxygen” and “keep electrosurgical devices used with the endoscope far enough away from the endoscope.”

Olympus has issued a Class 1 Recall of the following scopes due to 192 reported incidents of the devices catching fire or causing burns:

• Bronchovideoscope Olympus BF Type 1T150
• OES Bronchofiberscope Olympus BF Type 1T60
• Evis Exera II Bronchovideoscope Olympus BF Type 1TQ180
• Bronchovideoscope Olympus BF Type P150
• Evis Exera III Bronchovideoscope Olympus BF-P190
• Bronchovideoscope Olympus BF-Q170
• Evis Exera III Bronchovideoscope Olympus BF-Q190
• Evis Exera III Bronchovideoscope Olympus BF-XT190
• Evis Exera II Bronchovideoscope Olympus BF Type 1T180
• Evis Exera III Bronchovideoscope Olympus BF-1TH190
• Evis Exera III Bronchovideoscope Olympus BF-H190\
• Evis Exera II Bronchovideoscope Olympus BF Type P180
• OES Bronchofiberscope Olympus BF Type P60
• Evis Exera II Bronchovideoscope Olympus BF Type Q180-AC
• Evis Exera Bronchovideoscope Olympus BF Type XT160 

Injuries Associated with Olympus bronchofiberscopes and brochovideoscopes:

• Burns in airway or lungs
• Airway bleeding
• Trouble breathing
• Apnea
• Extended hospitalization
• ICU Care
• Death

What should I do next? 

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with a serious burn, trouble breathing, or other serious injury after exposure to an Olympus scope, Wagstaff & Cartmell may be able to help. Our products liability lawyers can examine your case and help you understand your rights. There are time limits which may affect the filing of your claim. Please contact us by using the online form or by calling our office at 816-701-1100 so that we may better evaluate your case.

 

Although each manufacturer takes a slightly different approach to the design and marketing of its IVC filters, each type of filter has been found to cause serious injuries to patients.

The most serious complications arising from the use of IVC filters are fracture, open surgery to remove all or part of the fractured device, migration into organs, and death.

If you or a loved one has suffered a serious injury due to an IVC filter implant, Wagstaff & Cartmell may be able to help.

Lawsuits pertaining to IVC filters assert that these devices are malfunctioning frequently due to their flawed design.

According to the IVC Filter complaints, the device’s makers neglected to alert doctors and patients of the higher danger of the filter shattering and metal pieces entering the bloodstream and perhaps injuring an organ.

The most common manufacturers of IVC filters are: C.R. Bard, Cook Medical, and Cordis.

The manufacturer C.R. Bard, is accused of concealing the findings of their own study, which concluded that the filter was hazardous, and of forging an employee’s signature on an FDA application to obtain approval.

The Bard Recovery filter, Bard G2 filter, Bard G2 Express filter, Cook Gunther Tulip filter, and Cook Celect filter are the five items that are most frequently at issue in IVC filter litigation. The Bard Eclipse, Bard Merdian, and Bard Denali filters are among the other filters that are producing issues.

Frequently, an IVC filter breaks and tiny, sharp metal fragments enter the patient’s circulatory system, or the filter shifts completely out of place. In any case, there is a risk of serious, excruciating, and even fatal damage.

Other organs may sustain subsequent damage from a ruptured artery. By breaking through the walls of the heart chamber, the metal fragments can even enter the heart itself and induce arrhythmia, or an irregular beating.

Additionally, it may lead to a condition called cardiac tamponade, in which blood or pus seeps into the pericardium, the tissue lining the heart muscle, creating pressure and disrupting the beating.

You may require legal assistance if you or a loved one had an IVC filter implant and subsequently suffered a fracture of the device, necessitating one or more surgeries or procedures to remove the device, or died as a result of the device. Our injury attorneys can review your case and assist you in realizing your legal rights. To further assess your claim, please get in touch with us by phone at 816-701-1100 or through the online form.

What are Ozempic and Wegovy?

Ozempic and Wegovy are GLP-1 receptor agonists, which mimic the hormone GLP-1 naturally produced in the body. Other similar drugs include:

• Mounjaro
• Rybelsus
• Saxenda

These drugs use the active ingredient semaglutide and were originally designed to treat type 2 diabetes. After these drugs entered the market for diabetes, the drug companies discovered that the drugs could slow food movement through the stomach and reduce appetite, so they were later marketed as weight loss drugs. As the sales of these drugs exploded, a flood of cases have been reported by individuals developing severe stomach issues while taking these drugs or shortly after stopping.

Recent studies show that Ozempic and similar weight loss drugs can cause stomach paralysis, uncontrolled vomiting, and other serious gastrointestinal issues, some which can result in hospitalization and death.

Injuries and side effects from Ozempic and similar drugs

Serious injuries that can be caused by Ozempic and other GLP-1 Drugs include:

• Stomach paralysis
• Cyclic vomiting syndrome
• Sharp and persistent stomach pain
• Frequent vomiting and nausea

If you or a loved one suffered stomach paralysis or were hospitalized with stomach problems after taking Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus, Saxenda, or Mounjaro, we would like to talk to you. We are investigating claims victims may have against the manufacturers of these drugs.  Please contact us by using the online form or by calling our office at 816-701-1100 so that we may better evaluate your potential claim.