|
A cure worse than the disease
Karen Barth Menzies
Drugs like Zoloft and Paxil have been marketed not just
as cures for depression but also as quick fixes for everything
from social anxiety to smoking withdrawal. But recent
studies say they can trigger violence—especially
suicide—in teenagers who take them. With public outcry
growing and the FDA slow to act, litigation may be the
only way to ensure consumers’ safety.
Pharmacology for lawyers
Stacy K. Hauer
You’ve just taken on a pharmaceutical case, and
now you wish you hadn’t skipped all those college
chemistry classes. Relax. This primer on pharmacology—the
study of how drugs work—provides a painless injection
of the basic knowledge you’ll need.
Deciphering the Adverse Event
Reporting System
Bert Black and Keith Altman
The FDA’s database of drugs’ harmful side
effects is loaded with valuable information to help you
prove causation. It’s also unwieldy and confusing—
unless you know just what to look for, and how. Here’s
a guide to navigating the sometimes murky straits of AERS.
The risky business of off-label
use
Donald C. Arbitblit and Wendy Fleishman
Off-label use of drugs and medical devices can benefit
patients by giving them more treatment options, but it
also carries significant risks—risks that manufacturers
may not disclose. When those risks become reality, there
are ways to hold manufacturers accountable for patients’
injuries.
A prescription for better drug
trials
Interview with Leonard Glantz
Pharmaceutical companies conduct their clinical trials
largely out of public view. This professor of health law
at Boston University advocates open access to clinical
data to improve consumers’ knowledge about the drugs
they take and to enhance public safety.
|
Features
Help the jury understand pain
and suffering
Charles L. Becton
How do you measure suffering? Some jurors dislike talking
about pain, and others might mistrust the plaintiff’s
motives in seeking damages for emotional injuries. Address
these concerns head-on to help jurors see compensation
not as an “award” but as payment of a debt.
|
News & Trends
Zylon body armor fails to protect
and serve police, lawsuits claim
ABA proposes changes to jury system;
plaintiff lawyers voice concerns
Girl’s case highlights rare
but severe reaction to Children’s Motrin
In secondhand-smoke case, flight
attendants win causation dispute
Jurors’ discussion of personal
expertise not prejudicial, court holds
Michigan court rejects open-and-obvious
defense for ‘natural’ oil
Jurors can’t be rejected for
religious appearance, New Jersey court rules
Montana constitution guarantees
health benefits for same-sex partners
New York judge orders drug-addicted
moms to have no more children
Supreme Court clears doctors’
way to trial against HMOs
Departments
President’s page
A new leader for challenging times
Supreme Court review
Qualified immunity ruling raises
hurdles for plaintiffs
Hearsay
ATLA in motion
ATLA in motion
Books
In Pursuit of Right and Justice:
Edward Weinfeld as Lawyer and Judge
by William E. Nelson
Selling Women Short: The Landmark
Battle for Workers’ Rights at Wal-Mart
by Liza Featherstone
Classifieds
Lawyer Networking
Products & Services
|
