Welcome to Williams Kherkher’s gadolinium blog.  Gadolinium is one of the many medical products that have followed an unfortunate pattern in recent years – it hit the market with a high degree of promise, only to be subsequently linked to serious side effects.  The gadolinium lawyers at Williams Kherkher would like to provide you with regular updates in relation to this chemical substance, as new findings can occur at any time.  However, if you have suffered as a result of this substance, you should contact the gadolinium lawyers at Williams Kherkher immediately for a free initial consultation. 

Williams Kherkher has represented many clients who were injured as a result of new medical products, and the growing prevalence of these types of cases has motivated us to put together this blog to provide the following information:

1. Important facts and statistics regarding gadolinium and its potential risks;
2. Breaking news and legal developments relating to this substance;
3. Symptoms to watch for so that you can detect any potential problems early.

We invite you to check this blog with regularity.  The gadolinium lawyers at Williams Kherkher may have a high degree of understanding in regards to potential liability of those who manufacture and release medical products onto the market, but we do not control the news, and cannot predict when new developments will occur. 

The issues surrounding gadolinium lawsuits are numerous in nature, even if the claim itself is somewhat obscure in terms of number of lawsuits filed. Obviously, if you’ve been harmed as a result of a gadolinium injection in furtherance of an MRI or MRA, you have to make sure that you get better health wise, which, depending on the specifics of your situation, is no small matter. Beyond that, you will also have to work with your gadolinium lawyer at Williams Kherkher to make sure that you understand some of the basic issues that surround your gadolinium-based injury claim. Below are a few examples of these issues, but for a full explanation of your particular situation as it applies to the governing law, contact a gadolinium lawyer at Williams Kherkher today to schedule a free initial consultation. Your Pre-existing Condition Studies have shown that those most likely to suffer from gadolinium injuries are those with pre-existing kidney problems. The reason is that gadolinium is generally flushed out of your system by properly-working kidneys soon after it’s injected into your system. When gadolinium remains in your system too long, it causes injuries that can be severe. In terms of proving this issue at trial, you’ll need to show that you told your doctor about your kidney problems, or that he or she didn’t ask and should have done so. The Causal Link After you’ve shown that your doctor may have been negligent in using one of the popular contrasting agent brands that contains gadolinium, you’ll also need to show that this substance caused, or played a large part, in causing your injuries. Generally, you’ll need at least a valid medical opinion to prove this causal link, but with the use of timelines and diagnoses from other doctors, you should be able to get past this potential hurdle. Damages In order to successfully prosecute your claim, you’ll also need to show that you were in fact injured and suffered damages as a result. You don’t necessarily have to show that you suffered a large monetary loss, but rather that you suffered some sort of loss, including by way of pain and suffering and emotional trauma. Without damages, there can be no viable claim. Overall Overall, there is a lot to consider if you file a lawsuit based on your gadolinium-caused injuries. That’s why you need to schedule an initial consultation with a gadolinium lawyer at Williams Kherkher, as he or she will be able to guide you through this process and help you vigorously pursue an equitable result. Contact the firm today.

There is updated information from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for patients who have undergone an MRI scan and have been diagnosed with nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) or nephrogenic fibrosing dermopathy (NFD). NSF and NFD are potentially fatal diseases. These diseases cause the skin and connective tissue to thicken which can result in broken bones. The FDA has warns consumers that the gadolinium-based contrast agent used to make MRI scans easier to read, is linked with patients who have been diagnosed with NSF or NFD.

The FDA also released a warning to patients who have a severe kidney insufficiency not to undergo an MRI that uses the gadolinium-based agent since they are at a higher risk of developing NSF.

After getting an MRI you may be experiencing some rather severe affects. You could also have been diagnosed with NSF or NFD. In either case, you should contact a gadolinium lawyer to learn more about your legal rights. Do not wait to schedule a free consultation with an attorney at Williams Kherkher. We have been representing various clients successfully for over 20 years.

After the study performed by the Danish Medicines Agency in June 2006, the FDA decided to begin warning everyone about the possible connection of gadolinium-based agents and the onset of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis.  Studies are still being conducted to confirm that there is this connection; however, the FDA and GE Healthcare (the manufacturer of a gadolinium-contained contrasting agent) have openly stated that patients with unhealthy kidneys should not be exposed to this type of agent.  There are multiple agents that contain this damaging chemical.  In fact, the FDA has not even approved using a gadolinium contrast agent with an MRI.  This is because this test requires three times the amount of the injection of the agent than that of an MRI.  At this point, this seems to be a single product issue, that is, an issue with gadolinium.

MRI’s are a common test for detecting a medical issue, testing stages of diseases, determining the location of a medical problem, etc.  Because this test is so common, the next step is for a person to determine what heath issues they had before an MRI, what symptoms they are experiencing now and what kind of contrast agent was used to during their tests.  If you have had medical problems since getting an MRI, contact a gadolinium lawyer at Williams Kherkher.

For the first time, which was about a year ago, the United States Food and Drug Administration contacted health professionals and the public warning them of the side effects of gadolinium.  Recently, the FDA has gone a step further now requesting that manufacturers of contrast agents that contain gadolinium place warning labels on their boxes.  The labels should warn patients with kidney issues could develop “debilitating, and potentially fatal disease known as nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF)” from exposure to a gadolinium-based agent.  Also, the FDA requests that the label should include a more detailed wording explaining that patients who have had a liver transplant or chronic liver disease may also experience serious side effects.

Gadolinium-based contrast agents are used quite often.  It is indeed an excellent agent to aid in better readings of an MRI.  All patients should receive a thorough kidney examination before receiving an injection of any gadolinium-based agent.

Since this agent is so common, you may have received an injection of this agent not knowing what kind of chemicals the agent contained.  If you are now experiencing illnesses after you went through an MRI, you should contact a gadolinium lawyer today.  Call (866) 950-9000 to schedule a free consultation with an attorney at Williams Kherkher.

Gadolinium has come under scrutiny in recent years regarding its use to aid doctors in analyzing MRI’s and MRA’s, particularly regarding its potential dangers associated with patients who have kidney problems. However, gadolinium is an element that appears on the Periodic Table, which means that scientists are constantly looking for new ways to make use of its natural properties.

That constant search may have led to a recent breakthrough, according to a piece published recently by Science Daily. In the report, we are told that gadolinium is proving to be a major help in the development of environmentally-friendly refrigeration technologies. “Magnetic refrigeration is a clean technology that uses magnetic fields to manipulate the degree of ordering (or entropy) of electronic or nuclear magnetic dipoles in order to reduce a material's temperature and allow the material to serve as a refrigerant. New materials for refrigeration based on gadolinium-germanium-silicon alloys display a giant magnetocaloric effect due to unusual coupling between the material's magnetism and chemical structure.” Perhaps this could lead to gadolinium finding a “home” within the scientific community, but only time will tell. If you’ve been injured as a result of having gadolinium in your system, contact the gadolinium lawyers at Williams Kherkher today to schedule a free initial consultation. You can do so either by calling us toll-free at (866) 950-9000.

For some time now, gadolinium has been hailed as a substance that tangibly aided doctors administering MRI’s and MRA’s. It’s a natural contrasting agent, which means that when it’s injected into the body, the MRI results will show clear and distinct delineations between healthy and not-so-healthy tissues.

However, as many news reports have recently detailed, gadolinium is also potentially dangerous to those who suffer from kidney problems. The reason is that gadolinium is supposed to be flushed from the system quickly, which is no problem for those with a healthy renal system. However, those with kidney problems cannot expel this substance, and it leads to serious injuries. Now comes a story that somewhat defines the limits of gadolinium even within an MRI setting. Physorg.com recently published an article that stated, in relevant part: “Magnetic resonance imaging is a very effective method for revealing anatomical details of soft tissues. Contrast agents can help to make these images even clearer and allow physiological processes to be followed in real time. Conventional gadolinium complexes currently used as MRI contrast agent cannot reveal anatomic structures.” The point is that perhaps the medical field will move beyond gadolinium as a substance that’s seen as extremely helpful in MRI’s, and not just for risk reasons. Regardless, if you’ve been injured as a result of having gadolinium in your system, contact the gadolinium lawyers at Williams Kherkher today to schedule a free initial consultation. You can do so either by calling us toll-free at (866) 950-9000.