What We Do
Defective Medical Products
- Medicines
- Accutane Lawsuit
- AMO Complete Moistureplus Recall
- Apothecure Colchicine Lawsuit
- Baxter Heparin Recall and Lawsuit
- Bayer Lawsuit
- Bismacine Chromacine
- Botox
- Carbinoxamine
- Chromium Poisoning (Toxicity)
- Colchicine Recall Lawyer
- Colistimethate Lawsuit Lawyer
- Compounding Pharmacy Error
- Edetate Disodium
- Fentanyl
- Fentanyl Lawsuit
- Fentanyl Patch Recall
- Fentora
- Fleet Lawsuit - Phosphate Nephropathy Kidney Failure
- Fluoroquinolone Antibiotics
- Fosamax Osteonecrosis Jaw
- Ketek Liver Failure
- Ortho Evra Birth Control Patch
- Pharmacist Malpractice
- Promethazine
- Rocephin Death
- Selenium Poisoning (Toxicity)
- Topical Anesthetic
- Total Body Formula Recall and Lawsuit
- Trasylol and Kidney Failure
- Trasylol - Lawyer and Lawsuit
- Trasylol Recall
- Tysabri Lawsuit - No Recall
- Tysabri Natalizumab
- Zelnorm Heart Attack Stroke Lawsuit
- Medical Equipment
- Medtronic Defibrillator Leads
- Medtronic Lawsuit
- Medtronic Lawyer
- Guidant Recalls
- Free Guidant Recall Consultation
- Guidant Ancure
- Guidant Lawsuit Recall
- Guidant Pacemaker Defibrillator Defect
- Guidant Pacemaker Recall
- FDA Pacemaker Defibrillator Statement
- Infusion Pump
- FDA Recalls
- News & Topics
- Archives
- Alaris Infusion Pump Signature Edition
- Azathioprine Recall
- Blackstone Recall
- Dermafreeze Recall Pseudomonas Aeruginosa
- Disentronic Power Pack Recall
- External Monitor Defibrillator
- Neurostimulators MRI
- Prostate Biopsy Device
- Recall AED20 Automatic External Defibrillators
- Recall_Infusion Pumps
- Renal Replacement Recall
- Tissue Implant
- Triaminic Vapor Patch Recall
Welcome to Pritzker | Ruohonen
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
Human Immunodeficiency Virus: HIV-1 and HIV-2
There are two known types of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), HIV-1 and HIV-2. In 1984, HIV-1 was discovered as the virus that causes AIDS in the United States. In 1986, HIV-2 was discovered in West African AIDS patients. Both HIV-1 and HIV-2 have the same modes of transmission; however, HIV-2 develops at a slower rate and is less infectious. Although HIV-2 is still most prevalent in Africa, there are a few reported cases of HIV-2 in the United States.
Defective Medical Products and Procedures and HIV-AIDS
Due to the alleged actions of manufacturers and distributors of medical products, including human tissue, thousands of people have been put at risk for contracting human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which leads to AIDS, a fatal, incurable disease. In March of 2006, the FDA notified medical professionals that Biomedical Tissue Services (BTS) of Fort Lee, New Jersey, illegally harvesting human tissue, bones and tendons. On June 19, 2006, the FDA issued a health notification regarding reusable ultrasound transducer assemblies used for various biopsy procedures. The biopsy procedures were performed by Veteran's Administration medical professionals and other doctors throughout the United States. On August 31, 2006, the FDA notified medical professionals that Donor Referral Services may have illegally harvested human tissue. Patients who have had tissue implants from illegally harvested human tissue or who had a biopsy with a reusable transducer assemble are at risk for Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, syphilis, HIV-1, and HIV-2.
HIV from BTS or Donor Referral Services Tissue Implant or from Biopsy Procedure: Legal Causation
One of the major legal hurdles in a case involving HIV and human tissue implants or biopsies is “legal causation,” which requires proving that the HIV infection was caused by the human tissue or the biopsy procedure. Proving causation will require the use of expert witnesses with extensive scientific and medical knowledge. The expert witnesses will need to provide solid, persuasive testimony on a number of issues. For your case, it will be important for you to find an attorney with extensive experience using expert witnesses in medical and scientific fields. At Pritzker | Ruohonen we focus on complex product liability cases that use expert witnesses with medical and scientific backgrounds. We have extensive experience finding the right expert witnesses and using their testimony effectively.
HIV linked to Donor Referral Services, BTS, or Biopsy Procedure: Lawyer and Free Consultation
If you have tested positive for HIV (and/or Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C or syphilis) after receiving a BTS tissue implant, receiving a Donor Referral Services tissue implant or having a biopsy procedure, a lawyer at Pritzker | Ruohonen, a nationally-recognized personal injury law firm, is available for a free consultation. You may reach us toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or fill in our online consultation form. Our senior partner, Fred Pritzker, has over 29 years of experience and has been selected by other lawyers for inclusion in the 2005-2006 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. He is currently lead attorney in a product liability case involving victims from several states, including New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
Resources:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) : CDC fact sheet on HIV-2
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) : CDC fact sheet on HIV transmission
- AIDSinfo: A service of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services which offers information on HIV/AIDS treatment, prevention, and research
- CDC Portal Page: Portal to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) information on HIV/AIDS
- Food and Drug Administration (FDA): Information on treatment of HIV/AIDS from the FDA, the regulatory body responsible for drug treatments
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Information on the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act. The CARE Act is Federal legislation that addresses the unmet health needs of persons living with HIV disease (PLWH) by funding primary health care and support services. The CARE Act was named after Ryan White, an Indiana teenager whose courageous struggle with HIV/AIDS and against AIDS-related discrimination helped educate the nation.
- United States National Library of Medicine part of the National Institutes of Health
- Honoré, Antony, "Causation in the Law", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2005 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = <http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/>.
Free Case Consultation
Firm News
Fred Pritzker Listed in The Best Lawyers in America
Fred Pritzker has been notified that he will again be listed in The Best Lawyers in America for his work in personal injury litigation.
Pain and Suffering
Rich Ruohonen recently chaired a legal seminar on obtaining compensation for pain and suffering in a personal injury case. Rich uses his knowledge, experience, and reputation to maximize recoveries for clients.
Medtronic Recall and Medtronic Lawsuit
FDA has annonced a Medtronic Spring Fidelis defibrillator lead recall. Two of our clients with defective Medtronic leads were shocked over twenty times before medical professionals were able to turn off the defibrillator.
Fleet Lawsuit
We are representing several people who experienced kidney failure (acute phosphate nephropathy) after use of Fleet Phospho-soda solution or Fleet Accu-Prep solution for bowel cleansing.
Ortho Evra Lawsuit: Ortho Evra Birth Control Patch
The Ortho Evra birth control patch has been linked to an increased risk of blood clots that can lead to pulmonary embolism, stroke and heart attack.
Trasylol Recall
Bayer has agreed to a marketing suspension of Trasylol, a drug used to control bleeding during heart surgery, pending detailed review of preliminary results from a Canadian study that suggested an increased risk for death.
Fentanyl Lawsuit and Fentanyl Recall
There have been a number of recalls regarding fentanyl due to the risk of a fentanyl overdose.
Fosamax and Osteonecrosis
Several cases of bisphosphonate-associated osteonecrosis of the jaw have been associated with the use of oral bisphosphonates, including Fosamax®, Actonel®, and other medications.