Philadelphia Personal Injury Attorney Blog | Pomerantz Perlberger & Lewis LLP

A Virginia judge has ruled that the company that made a heart medicine must disclose the amounts it paid in four wrongful death settlements. Judge Ann Hunter Simpson ruled that Central Admixture Pharmacy Services (CAPS) must make the settlement disclosure; the release of the information, however, has been delayed until the company's attorneys can decide on an appeal.

Bacteria was found in one of the medicines made by CAPS, cardioplegia, that is used during heart by-pass surgery. The family members of the four who died as a result of this medicine sought $5 million each in damages and blamed CAPS and Mary Washington Hospital for the deaths of their loved ones.

Both the families who sued and CAPS wanted the settlement amounts to be kept secret; the families states that disclosure would be upsetting and would expose them to unwanted attention. For obvious reasons involving future lawsuits, CAPS did not want the settlements disclosed, especially to newspapers. However, part of the judge's ruling stipulated that newspapers could publish the settlement amounts, and CAPS was required to file a court document that contained the terms and distribution of the settlements.

If a loved one has died due to the negligence or misconduct of someone else in Philadelphia or a surrounding area, please contact a Pennsylvania wrongful death lawyer at Pomerantz Perlberger & Lewis today to schedule an initial consultation.