An Arkansas mother has taken legal action against the anti-nausea drug Zofran for allegedly causing her son to develop numerous birth defects.

An Arkansas mother named Jody Huffmaster has joined the ranks of more than 60 parents fighting against Zofran.

During her pregnancy, Huffmaster took Zofran to treat symptoms of morning sickness. The anti-nausea drug, originally approved for cancer patients, allegedly caused Huffmaster’s son to develop numerous congenital birth defects.

Huffmaster has pursued legal assistance to gain “compensatory damages” and equitable relief to ensure that future mothers-to-be are fully informed about the potential risks of Zofran.

Mother Claims Zofran Exposure Caused Her Son’s Defects

Huffmaster’s son was born with clubfoot, a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape or position.
Image: National Library of Medicine

Huffmaster’s son, referred to in court documents as B.H., has “numerous” birth injuries. In her claim, she identifies Zofran as the culprit.

B.H. was born with a cleft palate, which is a condition that causes an opening or split in the roof of her son’s mouth and lip. Children with cleft palates may develop speech disorders, stuttering, an impaired voice, feeding difficulties, hearing loss, mouth breathing, nasal congestion or snoring.

In addition, B.H. suffers from bilateral clubfoot. This condition affects the lower half of the body, creating a twist in the shape or positioning of the foot. Bilateral clubfoot may cause an abnormality while walking, calluses, knock knees or shortened legs.

Although B.H. was lucky enough to be born with a healthy heart, the majority of birth defects associated with prenatal exposure to Zofran are cardiovascular. However, B.H. was also diagnosed with respiratory distress syndrome. This means his lungs weren’t fully developed when he was born, causing difficulty breathing and potential organ damage.

A Family Dealing With Mounting Medical Costs

Families with children who require multiple medical procedures often need financial assistance.
Image: Dynamic Chiropractic

At just 8 years old, Huffmaster’s son has undergone two serious surgeries. Although court documents don’t specify if the procedures repaired his clubfoot, it’s likely that his cleft palate was treated.

Throughout his life, B.H.’s family has had to shoulder his medical expenses. Because the cost of multiple medical procedures is high even for families with excellent health insurance, it can be extremely difficult to come up with enough funding to cover birth defect surgeries.

On September 14, 2015, Huffmaster filed a lawsuit against the makers of Zofran. Her family is requesting damage awards that will assist with paying B.H.’s mounting medical bills.

She is suing for her family’s “severe and permanent pain and suffering, mental anguish, medical expenses and other economic and noneconomic damages, and will require more constant and continuous medical monitoring and treatment than had they not been exposed to Zofran,” according to court files.

Additionally, Huffmaster hopes the lawsuit will help to warn future mothers about the possible risks of Zofran. 

If you took Zofran while pregnant and if your child was born with birth defects, you might be entitled to compensation.

Complete a free, no-obligation case evaluation now to see if you qualify.

The post Arkansas Family Files Against Zofran For Cleft Palate And Clubfoot Defects appeared first on Citizens Report.

Armored Lock

Honda Motor Co., Ltd. recently announced it would be cutting its profit forecast by more than $400 million as a result of the mounting costs to recall cars containing potentially deadly defective airbags.

The automotive manufacturer has been forced to recall around four million vehicles, which contain airbags manufactured in Japan by the safety equipment supplier Takata Corporation. Honda’s list of recalled models include Accords, Civics, CR-Vs, Elements, Odyssey, Pilots, and Ridgelines. Lawyers for Honda have estimated that injuries from the defective airbags have climbed to 64 and a possible sixth death is currently being investigated.

Though Honda sells it cars worldwide, its most lucrative market is the United States, which is why executives at the company are trying to downplay any safety issues in this country. For instance, Tetsuo Iwamura, an executive vice president at the carmaker, has failed to mention the latest suspected death that recently happened in Texas.

According to police reports, a 35 year-old man died after his 2002 Honda Accord struck another vehicle and the airbag deployed, sending pieces of metal into the car. One of those pieces lodged in the man’s neck, and he bled to death at the scene. Honda immediately released a statement saying it had been alerted of the incident, but added that it was too early to tell if a faulty airbag was responsible.

Honda Has Company

Alexis Benter

Toyota has also recalled cars due to the same faulty inflaters manufactured by Takata. These inflaters deploy with too much force, sending pieces of metal into the interior cabin of cars.

Honda, Toyota and Chrysler are all dealing with separate recalls, still having to do with airbags, but this one is  due to a bad electric component manufactured by an American supplier. This particular defect causes the airbag to deploy for no reason while the car is actually in motion. Toyota is recalling close to one million vehicles, Chrysler is recalling around 753,000 vehicles and Honda is recalling around 374,000 vehicles.

Federal safety administrators are urging consumers who have yet to get their recalled cars fixed to do so as soon as possible. While some fixes may only be temporary, and some may take quite a long time, these safety issues are urgent and remedies should be immediately installed.

If you believe your car may be at risk, visit Honda’s official recall page.

The post Honda Downplays Deadly Airbag Defects in the U.S. appeared first on Citizens Report.