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SUMMARY
Persons with hemophilia in the United States, Latin
America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa were
infected with contaminated blood products. Lieff Cabraser
is representing clients from around the world in lawsuits
filed in U.S. courts against American blood companies
that sold in the U.S. and exported contaminated blood
worldwide. |
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Lieff
Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP, Announces Filing
Of Lawsuit In The United States On Behalf Of Hemophiliacs
Worldwide Including Argentines
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| American
Companies Alleged To Have Exported To Argentina Blood
Product Discontinued For Sale In The U.S. Due To Safety
Concerns |
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| June
4, 2003, San Francisco, CA -- Lieff Cabraser Heimann &
Bernstein, LLP, announced that it has filed a lawsuit, entitled
Domenico Gullone, et al. v. Bayer Corporation, et al., on
behalf of hemophiliacs, or their survivors and estates, living
outside the United States, including hemophiliacs from Argentina,
who became infected with HIV and/or Hepatitis C ("HCV")
from contaminated blood products manufactured by American
companies. The blood products were known as factor concentrate,
Factor VIII ("antihemophilic factor" or "AHF")
and Factor IX, and were manufactured and sold in the U.S.,
and exported worldwide. The lawsuit was filed in federal district
court in San Francisco. |
| The lawsuit alleges that the American companies sought
to maximize profits at the expense of the health and lives
of thousands of hemophiliacs worldwide who were needlessly
infected with HIV and/or HCV. AIDS is the leading cause of
death for hemophiliacs who were treated with non heat-treated
factor concentrate in the 1980's, and the average life expectancy
of hemophiliacs has decreased substantially. In Latin America,
at least 700 HIV cases are linked to use of contaminated
blood products by hemophiliacs. Thousands more around the
world allegedly were infected with Hepatitis C from blood
products produced by American companies. |
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lawsuit alleges that these companies intentionally sold blood
factor that they knew or should have known to be infected
with the agents that cause AIDS and HCV. "This is a worldwide
tragedy that had a particular impact in Argentina," stated
Lieff Cabraser partner Robert Nelson. According to recent
press reports, one American company, Cutter Biological, in
1985 sold 300,000 units of blood factor concentrate to Argentina
that it knew or should have known was most likely infected
with the agents that cause AIDS and HCV. Cutter Biological
had changed the way it manufactured the product to reduce
the risk of HIV and hepatitis transmission, but had a significant
stock of blood factor made from the old method. "Instead
of destroying the defective stock, Cutter allegedly shipped
it to Argentina for use by hemophiliacs there," said
Nelson. |
| The lawsuit seeks to require that the American companies
that made these contaminated products acknowledge their responsibility
to hemophiliacs in Argentina and worldwide and to their families.
The American companies, or their subsidiaries, named as defendants
in the lawsuit were engaged in the manufacture, production
and sale of Factor VIII and IX and/or their plasma components.
The defendants include: Bayer Corporation and its Cutter
Biological division, Baxter Healthcare Corporation and its
Hyland Pharmaceutical division, Armour Pharmaceutical Company
and Alpha Therapeutic Corporation. |
| Lieff
Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP is a fifty-plus attorney
law firm with offices in San Francisco, New York and Nashville.
Since 1972, Lieff Cabraser has successfully represented residents
of the United States and persons living abroad in a wide
range of cases, including personal injury lawsuits. The firm
has successfully litigated against the nation's cigarette
manufacturers, and against some of the country's largest
pharmaceutical, insurance, securities and software companies.
Since 1992, Lieff Cabraser has litigated thirty-five separate
cases in which $100 million or more jury verdicts were rendered
or settlements were reached, including ten cases each valued
at $1 billion or more. Assisting Lieff Cabraser with the
litigation is the Law Offices of Charles Kozak. |
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Heather Foster
LIEFF CABRASER HEIMANN & BERNSTEIN,
LLP
275 Battery Street, 30th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94111
Tel: (415) 956-1000
Fax: (415) 956-1008 |
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Copyright © 2007 Lieff
Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP |
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