West Palm Beach Injury Lawyer Blog

News continues to spread about the dangers posed to premature infants by the Simply Thick gel. As we have frequently explained, the product is under investigation for causing deadly intestinal problems in infants given the gel either at the hospital or at home. The problem is not regional, as our Simply Thick attorney is working with families across the country who have suffered problems linked to the product.

Earlier this week, WTHR News published a story on one girl that is involved in the FDA Investigation that remains underway following the voluntary Simply Thick recall. The now nineteen-month old child, Hannah Konkle, had to fight for her life after suffering from the intestinal disease known as necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC).

The child's mother explained, "She started having a bloated stomach. She stopped stooling and on February 9th we were admitted to Riley's Children's Hospital and she subsequently had surgery for a disimpaction." The young girl would ultimately have to undergo two surgeries before her condition stabilized.

The family immediately suspected that some outside substance must have caused her problem. The mother noted that "it had to be something she was ingesting. It had to be, because we're talking about her bowel. It has to be something she's ingested."

At the time that problems began the young girl was consuming up to 18 packets of Simply Thick each day. However, it wasn't until a few months later--in May--that the recall was issued. The family contacted the FDA upon learning about the problem and within two days FDA investigators visited the family and shared their suspicions about the potential connection between their daughter's problems and Simply Thick. The family then learned how two infants had already died from NEC and at least fifteen other cases were under investigation.

The recall affected Simply Thick packets that were manufactured at a plant in Stone Mountain, Georgia. All of the packets that Hannah consumed were included in the recall. The FDA noted at the time that the Simply Thick recall was "a result of the company's failure to ensure that harmful bacteria of possible public health significance were destroyed in the manufacturing process at that manufacturing plant."

Continue reading "Injured Toddlers At Center of Simply Thick Investigation" »

Securing appropriate medical care is the first priority for any family who believes that their child may have suffered an injury because they were given the now-recalled Simply Thick gel. More parents are learning of the dangers of the product given to premature infants and frequently mixed into breast milk and baby formula. As blog readers know, the Food and Drug Administration continues to investigate the link between Simply Thick and the intestinal disorder known as necrotizing enterocolitis. It therefore remains vital for all families to stop using the product and quickly seek medical help at the first indication that problems may have developed.

However, once medical issues are addressed it is important for all those involved to understand how this product was allowed to harm so many infants and provide redress for those suffering. That is where a Simply Thick lawyer can help. The law provides that all those who manufacture products have a responsibility to ensure that they are safe for public use. When one of those products is unsafe, a product liability lawsuit can be brought to provide the necessary accountability and compensation.

In most locations these cases are guided by the principle of "strict liability." For Simply Thick victims, this means that they are capable of succeeding in a lawsuit so long as it can be shown that the product was defective and the defect caused injury to their child. Unlike in other forms of injury cases, the court will not consider whether a specific act of negligence on the part of the manufacturers of the product led to the defect. This doctrine has been developed over decades in order to protect all those who unknowingly suffer harm from the products that they purchase. It ensures that businesses which profit from those sales cannot avoid liability for the harm they cause.

In this case, the investigation into the specific cause of the connection between Simply Thick and necrotizing enterocolitis is still underway. A possible bacterial contamination at one of the places where the product was made is a possible factor in the link. However, regardless of what information is discovered down the road, it remains crucial for all those who have children harmed by this product to contact a Simply Thick attorney quickly to provide accountability and protect others from suffering the same problems.

Continue reading "Legal Options Available For Infants Who Suffered Simply Thick Injury" »

Over the past few weeks our Simply Thick lawyer has been sharing information with families who have given their premature infant the Simply Thick gel. New information continues to pour in on the risks that the product poses to infants who take it. Earlier this month forms of the gel were recalled after several infants died following development of an intestinal problem known as necrotizing enterocolitis. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is investigating well over a dozen more cases of babies who may have been injured after using Simply Thick.

It is vital that information is spread about this recall and its potential health consequences so that families can take appropriate action to keep their children safe. We continue to have new individuals contact our office whose children may have been harmed by use of the dangerous thickening gel. Our Simply Thick attorney understands that there is little room for error when it comes to the health and well-being of our children. Therefore, it is necessary for all families to learn more about necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) so that loved ones will be able to spot potential health problems in their infants.

Nelson's Textbook of Pediatrics explains how NEC is the death of intestinal tissue. It results when the lining of the intestinal walls dies, causing the tissue to literally fall off the organ. Some doctors believe that decreases in the blood flow to the baby's bowel prevents the bowel from producing mucus which in turn is needed to protect the gastrointestinal tract. In addition, bacteria build-up inside the intestine may lead to the death of the lining wall and the development of NEC.

Premature infants are by far the most likely babies to develop the disorder. It often arises while the infant is still in the hospital, though there are cases when it has been discovered only after a young child has been brought home. There is no universal way to recognize NEC, but doctors suggest that a combination of the following symptoms may indicate a risk: blood in the stool, diarrhea, feeding intolerance, vomiting, and lethargy.

Depending on the how much the NEC has developed treatment often necessitates that surgery be performed to repair holes in the child's intestines or to correct an inflammation of the abdominal wall. Dead tissue will also need to be removed and a colostomy performed. The bowel is then reconnected in a follow up procedure weeks later. The prognosis is particularly frightening for families with children battling NEC--the death rate is reported to be somewhere around 25%. As with most medical issues, early and aggressive treatment is the best way to improve the chance at recovery.

Continue reading "Simply Thick Lawyer Warns of Fatal Risks to Infants from Necrotizing Enterocolitis" »

Families who have been following news of the Simply Thick recall may be feeling understandably anxious. Investigations are continuing into the safety of the product and its connection to the gastrointestinal disease known as necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). When the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued warnings earlier this month about the danger the product poses to premature babies, many families realized that they may have unintentionally placed their infant at risk of developing this potentially deadly intestinal problem.

The Simply Thick danger is particularly distressing because most families began giving the product to their prematurely born infant on the advice of their medical professional. Residents should be able to rely on the medical advice given by their healthcare providers. In this case it seems that the medical experts themselves were caught off-guard by the potential connection between Simply Thick and NEC.

The responsibility for the creation and promotion of this potentially dangerous product likely lies squarely with the manufacturers of Simply Thick. All those who sell items like this to the public have a responsibility to ensure that their products are safe. This seems particularly true when a company is making a substance that is widely known to be given to our most vulnerable family members--premature infants.

Fortunately, the law in our state provides protection for those who are unknowingly injured because of an unsafe product. Generally the principle of "strict liability" applies in these cases, so that families can recover for their losses even without showing actual manufacturer negligence. In other words, the law places emphasis on the harm caused by the product instead of the specific actions of the manufacturer. Medical products can be deemed unsafe for a variety of reasons. Sometimes the substance is improperly designed (i.e. too much of an active ingredient). In other cases there is inadequate labeling or warnings that should have been given about the risks that the product poses.

Our Palm Beach injury lawyer works on behalf of all those who have been harmed by defective products. We continue to advocate for victims of the Simply Thick recall. One client is a local resident whose premature infant is showing signs of intestinal problems commonly associated with NEC. Other residents in our state may have children suffering similar complications from use of this product. The consequences of NEC are too high for any family to fail to act quickly if they suspect their child may have suffered adversely from the thickening gel. Two infants have already died from NEC complications and many more incidents of severe injury are under investigation by the FDA.

Continue reading "Investigations Continue Into the Safety of Simply Thick Gel" »

Last week we shared information on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) warning about the thickening gel known as "Simply Thick." It was explained how the consumer safety body had instructed the public against giving the product to premature infants. The administration is continuing to investigate the link between Simply Thick and the development of a fatal intestinal disease known as necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC).

Details are still being uncovered, but according to a story this week in the Holly Springs Patch, the problem may have stemmed from bacteria contamination at one of the manufacturing plants for the product. Specifically, the company voluntarily recalled all Simply Thick packets manufactured at its plant in Stone Mountain, Georgia. The FDA noted the reason for this Simply Thick recall declaring it to be "a result of the company's failure to ensure that harmful bacteria of possible public health significance were destroyed in the manufacturing process at that manufacturing plant."

Product liability cases like this are always particularly frightening because of the widespread risks that they pose to so many consumers across the country. Unlike single-incident accidents, failure of a company to ensure the safety of their product may place the lives of dozens or even hundreds of innocent individuals in jeopardy. There is no excuse for a potentially dangerous bacteria contamination to go uncorrected by the company.

The effects are already being felt in our area. Our West Palm Beach injury lawyer is working on behalf of a family that may already have been harmed by the dangerous Simply Thick. The local resident began giving her prematurely born infant the product upon the recommendation of medical professionals at her hospital. The young baby is already showing signs of possible intestinal problems caused by the Simply Thick gel use. It is likely that other residents in our state may have suffered similar complications from use of this product.

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), the digestive problem connected to Simply Thick, usually causes inflammation and eventual death of intestinal tissue. At least two infants have already been killed because of NEC caused by Simply Thick and well over a dozen more cases are being investigated by FDA officials. The FDA urges all parents to stop giving children this thickening gel immediately and to be on the lookout for potential signs of NEC. Symptoms such as bloated abdominal areas, feeding intolerance, green-tinged vomit, and bloody stool are all indications that some problems may have developed.

Continue reading "Simply Thick Recall May Involve Manufacturing Contamination By Harmful Bacteria" »

Our Palm Beach injury lawyer at the Law Office of Eric H. Luckman recently began representing a family whose young child was harmed after using the gel known as "Simply Thick." Many local parents have been adding Simply Thick to the formula used by their newborn children who have swallowing issues and gastroesophageal reflux disease. The product is most often given to premature infants, but babies who went to full-term have also received the product after having issues with spitting up and inadequate weight gain. Now the major national regulatory body is warning all consumers that Simply Thick may pose hidden dangers to the children who take it.

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration recently conducted an investigation into the safety of the product. The FDA is now urging parents not to give Simply Thick to their prematurely born children because of its potential to cause necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). As a West Palm Beach injury lawyer, we understand the seriousness of this FDA warning and the danger this gel poses to children in our area. We are already working on behalf of a local victim whose child began using Simply Thick after being born premature. The infant was given the thickening gel by medical personnel at the hospital and was then instructed to continue taking the product while at home. Unfortunately, the young child is already showing signs of being harmed after suffering from digestion complications and other problems.

NEC is often found in premature infants. It causes severe inflammation in the intestine of the child, leading to bowel perforations. Often those perforations require surgery to remove the affected part of the intestine. Severe infections and even death have been known to result from NEC. Parents concerned about the Simply Thick FDA warning should pay particularly close attention to their infant's condition and be on the look-out for common NEC symptoms including a bloated stomach, bloody stool, green-tinged vomit.

Thus far the FDA has found at least 15 cases of premature infants who developed NEC after being fed milk or formula with Simply Thick. Two of those children died as a result of the problem. The intestinal issues developed in children who had taken the product for various lengths of time. Some of the babies contracted NEC after being given Simply Thick at a hospital while others were given the product at home. In the past six months four medical centers throughout the country have reported links between the condition and the thickening product.

The FDA is not yet aware of the exact reason why Simply Thick can trigger NEC in premature infants. A more thorough investigation is underway to better inform consumers of the reasons for the problem. Hopefully the more detailed analysis of the situation will help determine why the link exists and show what should have been done to prevent the problems. In the meantime, the advisory board is urging parents not to give the product to their children--there is no need to take any unnecessary risks.

Continue reading "Law Office of Eric H. Luckman Working With Victims Harmed By Simply Thick" »