Arm Amputation Is The Kind Of Serious Injury Leading To Landmark Cases

Emily Mapp Brannon

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The loss of an arm is the kind of damage that cries out for justice when caused by a negligent company or doctor. Other than paraplegia, quadriplegia or death there are not many injuries that are more tragic than the unnecessary loss of a limb because of someone else's mistake. Such was the case in a lawsuit, which was big news in injury lawyer circles, in an appeal of a jury verdict against the drug maker Wyeth who had put a drug on the market that when it touched arterial blood would cause the loss of a limb almost immediately. Despite this risk, the drug manufacturer sold the product and had doctors administering it in ways where the contact with arterial blood was bound to happen because of a simple mistake made by a phlebotomist or blood tech putting in an IV needle and hitting an artery rather than a vein. Despite this huge risk, the drug manufacturer made no effort to warn doctors, through the labeling and warning on the product, to be careful about this particular risk. A jury in Vermont awarded millions for this failure to take reasonable steps in violation of state law. The insurance attorneys for the at‑fault company fought the case all the way to the United States Supreme Court. Finally, even with an extremely conservative court, the one-armed musician won her case against the big company and the jury's verdict was upheld. To read more about the key legal issues in this major case, please check out my law partner, Jim Lewis', article on our firm web site.

Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton personal injury law firm is based in Virginia (VA), near the Northeast North Carolina (NC) border, practicing primarily in the southeastern U.S. and handles only injury law, including car, truck, railroad, and medical negligence cases and more. The firm's website is: hsinjurylaw.com, the firm edits the injury law blogs Virginia Beach Injuryboard, Norfolk Injuryboard, as well as the Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard and also hosts a video library covering many FAQ’s on personal injury subjects. Lawyers licensed in: VA, NC, SC, WV, DC, KY.