Court Awards $380 Million In Damages Over Dialysis Patient Treatment
© ALL CREDIT TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS
UPDATE: According to Reuters, DaVita Inc will pay $25.5 million to the families of three patients who won a $383.5 million jury verdict and who claimed their relatives suffered cardiac arrests and died soon after receiving dialysis treatments at the company’s clinics.
Recommended Reading: New Leading Dialysis Company Technology Expected To Make Treatment Easier On Patients
The national dialysis clinic operator disclosed the settlement in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Be sure to get your copy of the Dialysis Patients’ Rights book to avoid issues during Dialysis (click here). To read the full story below...
Recommended Reading: Top Hospitals & Dialysis Centers Are Adopting Redsense - Breakthrough Technology To Help Catch Deadly Bleedouts
A growing number of Chronic Kidney Disease and Dialysis patients are becoming more concerned about their regular treatments. Mario Gonzales (61-year-old Dialysis patient) said, “It was an atmospheric feeling after walking in there. Something just told me... something (here) is wrong.” He described that he felt his "blood run cold" the first time he walked into his Dialysis Center without enough staff, and where patients were left unattended for long periods of time. Well, a verdict against the second largest Dialysis Center in the United States, DaVita Inc., found the company guilty of "negligence and fraudulent concealment," and returned a combined $383.5 million jury verdict against the Dialysis Provider.
Recommended Reading: Dialysis Organization Settles Multi-Million Dollar Lawsuit
DaVita Inc. was accused of administering the name-brand GranuFlo Dialysis Solution at its clinics, despite warnings that it could cause serious injury or death. Apparently, this resulted in the deaths of Irma Menchaca, Gary Gene Saldana, and Deborah Hardin. Their families hired law firms who argued that DaVita failed to inspect and review the composition of GranuFlo, which is made by the Largest Dialysis Provider, Fresenius Medical Care. In fact, some complaints have suggested that DaVita Inc. continued to administer the treatment across its 2,000 Dialysis Centers in the United States and did nothing to act on the warnings, including a 2011 internal report from Fresenius that found the use of GranuFlo could lead to a dramatic increase in cardiac arrest during the Dialysis process, according to The National Law Journal.
Recommended Reading: Fresenius Settles For $250 Million After Products Linked To Hundreds Of Dialysis Patient Deaths
“DaVita ignored many red flags that preceded the loss of life of these three patients and many others,” said lead trial attorney Rob Carey of Hagens Berman. However, DaVita has stated that they "strongly disagreed” with the jury’s findings and would fight the verdict on appeal. Further DaVita noted that, "There was substantial evidence that the GranuFlo product is safe and effective, and no evidence that we or the manufacturer of GranuFlo hid any data contradicting its safety or effectiveness."
Recommended Reading: Large Dialysis Organization Settles With The Department Of Justice
What are your thoughts? Have you ever been administered GranuFlo? What was your experience with it? Also, do you feel that the verdict was fair or was the fine too high? Your thoughts and insights are very important to us and other Chronic Kidney Disease and Dialysis patients. Share with the over 71,000 Friends on Facebook (click here). We read every email sent to contact@kidneybuzz.com! Also, visit KidneyBuzz.com daily (250,000+ monthly visitors) for the latest breaking news which teaches those with Chronic Kidney Disease, Dialysis, Kidney Transplant, Diabetes, and High Blood Pressure how to better manage and improve their lives.