Lipitor Lawsuit: The Facts You Must Know

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Helen Robinson began taking Lipitor in 2008 after she was prescribed the medication to lower her cholesterol level and prevent the risk of heart trouble. According to the Lipitor lawsuit filed in a Kentucky western district court, Lipitor side effects led her to develop hyperglycemia in 2012 and she was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes three months later. She has claimed that had Pfizer, the manufacturer of Lipitor, disclosed adequate information about the diabetes risk, she would not have used it.

Mrs Robinson is now more susceptible to heart ailment that she tried to prevent by using the lipid-controlling drug. Additionally, she has to live with the risk of kidney and other potential health disorders and on a restricted diet forever because of diabetes. Her Lipitor diabetes lawsuit seeks product liability arguing that Lipitor side effects have brought her to square one and she is as worried over cardiovascular risks that led her to use Lipitor.

Lipitor Drug

Warner-Lambert introduced Lipitor in 1996 and the company along with its products was acquired by Pfizer in 2000. The lipid-controlling drug contains atorvastatin that lowers bad cholesterol and enhances good cholesterol, according to the manufacturer. It inhibits HMG-CoA reductase liver enzyme that helps in cholesterol production. The process helps accelerate bad cholesterol synthesis while reducing triglycerides and preventing good cholesterol exploitation.

Lipitor sells have crossed $125 billion in the last two decades and generic versions are now also available.

Lipitor Side Effects

Experts have advised users to scout for alternatives, such as physical exercise, diet control, and weight loss, prior to start taking Lipitor to the lower cholesterol level. The drug is linked to serious side effects, including:

  • Diabetes: The most prominent Lipitor side effect, diabetes neutralizes any advantage the lipid-controlling drug claims. The cholesterol medication inhibits adiponectin and ubiquinone, two enzymes that help glucose synthesis and insulin release. Their deficiency leads to increased risk of diabetes.
  • Cardiovascular Risk: Diabetes caused by Lipitor puts users at the enhanced risk of heart attack, heart failure, coronary heart disease, and cardiomyopathy. Lipitor side effects may also result in hemorrhagic stroke.
  • Hepatic Disorders: Due to liver enzyme inhibition, Lipitor side effects lead to hepatic necrosis, cholestatic jaundice, and hepatitis.
  • Musculoskeletal Risks: Myopathy, muscle pain, weakness, skeletal muscle tissue breakdown, and myalgia are among the most reported Lipitor side effects.
  • Renal Problem: Increased risk of diabetes put patients at the risk of renal failure.

Apart from these Lipitor side effects, the cholesterol-lowering drug has also been linked to back pain, gastrointestinal problems, abdominal pain, pancreatitis, nephrotic syndrome, hemolytic anemia, thyroid dysfunction, hemorrhagic cystitis, erectile dysfunction, anxiety, and depression.

Lipitor Studies and Warning

  • A 2004 media report on Tahoe World entitled “Life After Lipitor” draw widespread attention to the plight of a California man who took Lipitor for two years. He lost motor skills and had neuromuscular problems and sclerosis due to the cholesterol drug side effects.
  • Another report highlighted how a 77-year-old female user had uterus and bladder inflammation for weeks after taking Lipitor.
  • In 2010, researchers from the University of Glasgow discovered close link between Lipitor side effects and type 2 diabetes. (The Lancet, Feb 2010)
  • In 2011, a Pfizer-sponsored study involving Dutch, Australian, and U.S. researchers highlighted a 33 percent higher risk of diabetes caused by Lipitor use over five years. ( The Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Mar 2011)
  • Another study came up with similar revelations within four months. While examining the link between diabetes and Lipitor, scholars discovered that high dose of the cholesterol drug caused the onset of diabetes. (The Journal of the American Medical Association, Jun 2011)
  • In 2012, a U.S. research report claimed 50 percent high risk of diabetes in women using Lipitor to reduce cholesterol-linked heart disorder risks. (The Archives of Internal Medicine, Jan 2012)
  • In 2014, a team of Albama university researchers supported by the doctors from the Mid-America Heart Institute emphasized that at least one in four patients using Lipitor faces the enhanced risk of being diagnosed with diabetes.

Lipitor Lawsuits

Pfizer is facing hundreds of Lipitor lawsuits filed in more than 40 federal and state courts. The first Lipitor diabetes lawsuit was reported in early 2000s and now almost one new lawsuit is being filed every fortnight. A Lipitor class action was filed at a New York court in 2006 while at least 100 Lipitor lawsuits are pending in 20 federal courts. Plaintiffs have sought product liability on the part of Pfizer claiming that it did not disclose diabetes side effects for commercial gains.

About Us, Helping You

Our attorneys are currently reviewing any potential case involving someone that ingested Lipitor and have sustained a Lipitor injury and been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. Our team of attorneys will review your potential case and provide a free case evaluation. We also handle Lipitor cases on a contingency fee, meaning there is no attorney’s fee unless we recover monies via a settlement or judgment. We also front all litigation expenses.

In order to try and help you, please contact us as soon as possible:

CALL: 1-800-632-1404

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    NOTE: Our team of attorneys will review potential cases for all fifty states, including Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin and Wyoming.

    Lipitor Lawsuit: New Study Warns 1 in Every 4 Users Faces Diabetes Risk

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    Lipitor, Pfizer’s blockbuster cholesterol drug, puts at least one in every four at the risk of new-onset diabetes. According to a research study reported by the Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, a monthly peer-reviewed medical journal on pharmacology and therapeutics, for every three instances where Lipitor and similar statin-class drugs succeeded in reducing in cardiovascular risks attributed to enhanced cholesterol, at least one faces the increased risk of developing diabetes.

    Hundreds of Lipitor diabetes lawsuits have been filed by women across the United States linking the cholesterol-lowering drug to onset of diabetes. Many research studies have also published their findings supporting those claims.

    The latest study, a joint research venture involving the Mid America Heart Institute of Kansas and the University of Alabama, claims that there is a “definite” increase in the risk of diabetes following the use of Lipitor and similar statins to cut cholesterol-related disorders. Linking the diabetes risk to a “dose-response relationship,” it asserts that statins are more likely to inhibit adiponectin, a protein that regulates glucose and fatty acid utilization, which results in diabetes.

    Lipitor and similar statins are also found to restrain production of ubiquinone, a coenzyme, in the human cells that facilitates easy insulin release. Ubiquinone deficiency may lead to lack of insulin response.

    The group of researchers examined several reports that showcased 6 to 34 percent increase in diabetes risk linked to Lipitor. Two studies involving nearly 100,000 patients ended with highlighting significant higher risk of diabetes (9 and 15 percent) among Lipitor users.

    More Research Studies on Lipitor Side Effects

    In November 2013, the American College of Cardiology called for new guidelines on the use of Lipitor and other drugs prescribed to cut down cholesterol and prevent heart problems. A report in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology warned in March 2011 that using Lipitor for a period of five years was likely to increase the risk of Type 2 diabetes by 33 percent. The American Heart Association also strongly advocated against using Lipitor and similar statins indefinitely.

    In February 2012, the FDA ordered for new label warnings highlighting diabetes risk on Lipitor. However, experts and consumer groups continue to press for more strigent safety guidelines and warnings on the drug.

    Exactly two year prior to the FDA decision, research findings reported by The Lancet medical journal had linked Lipitor to Type 2 diabetes. Researchers cited data collected during 13 different prior studies to establish that Lipitor and other statins induced development of diabetes in users.

    The Archives of Internal Medicine, a journal published by the American Medical Association, claims that Lipitor-class statins may enhance the risk of diabetes by 50 percent.

    Lipitor Lawsuit

    Over 100 Lipitor diabetes lawsuits are awaiting trial in 20 federal courts across the United States while state courts are bracing up to try a similar number of cases. Thousands of potential plaintiffs are expected to join the Lipitor litigation against Pfizer, and the number of Lipitor diabetes lawsuits is set to see a sharp increase.

    The MDL panel has set the January 30, 2014, as the date to consider a motion for coordinated pretrial consolidation of all Lipitor lawsuits filed in the federal courts.

    The key issues raised by plaintiffs in the Lipitor lawsuits while seeking product liability against the manufacturer include,

    • diabetes side effects causing one to suffer from potential cardiovascular risks that he or she took Lipitor to prevent,
    • failure of Pfizer to inform the potential diabetes risk to users,
    • breach of consumer trust and fraud by the manufacturer to have financial gains, and
    • breach of implied warranty and marketing of harmful medical product.

    About Us, Helping You

    Our attorneys are currently reviewing any potential case involving someone that ingested Lipitor and have sustained a Lipitor injury and been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. Our team of attorneys will review your potential case and provide a free case evaluation. We also handle Lipitor cases on a contingency fee, meaning there is no attorney’s fee unless we recover monies via a settlement or judgment. We also front all litigation expenses.

    In order to try and help you, please contact us as soon as possible:

    CALL: 1-800-632-1404

    EMAIL: clicking here

    FILL OUT THIS FORM FOR A FREE CONSULTATION AND CASE EVALUATION:

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      NOTE: Our team of attorneys will review potential cases for all fifty states, including Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin and Wyoming.

      Lipitor Lawyers Comment on Consolidation of Pre-Trial Discovery

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      As attorneys that are providing free case evaluations for persons that ingested Lipitor and have now been diagnosed with new-onset Type-II diabetes, we wanted to advise that a federal judge in East St. Louis, Illinois has coordinated for purposes of discovery and pre-trial proceedings all cases filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois accusing Pfizer, Inc. to adequately warn of the risks of diabetes posed by the collateral drug Lipitor.

      As for the number of cases expected to be filed in the Southern District of Illinois, various plaintiff’s attorneys have explained that they have hundreds of cases under review with significant number of cases potentially appropriate for filing in the Southern District of Illinois.  There are already 14 similar Lipitor diabetes cases filed in South Carolina alleging similar issues.  The lawsuits allege that Pfizer failed to warn women or their physicians that Lipitor increases the risk of developing Type II diabetes. A similar plaintiff sought consolidation of Lipitor cases under the JPML proceedings. Such a request was denied.

      After allowing consolidation of the cases in Illinois, plaintiffs in those cases will be permitted to have exceedingly more efficient discovery and lower expected costs associated with the litigation.  If you or your loved one has been diagnosed with new-onset Type II diabetes after being prescribed Lipitor, please contact us as soon as possible for a free case evaluation.

       

      About Us, Helping You

      Our attorneys are currently reviewing any potential case involving someone that ingested Lipitor and have sustained a Lipitor injury and been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. Our team of attorneys will review your potential case and provide a free case evaluation. We also handle Lipitor cases on a contingency fee, meaning there is no attorney’s fee unless we recover monies via a settlement or judgment. We also front all litigation expenses.

      In order to try and help you, please contact us as soon as possible:

      CALL: 1-800-632-1404

      EMAIL: clicking here

      FILL OUT THIS FORM FOR A FREE CONSULTATION AND CASE EVALUATION:

        Your Name (required)

        Your Email (required)

        Your Phone Number (required)

        Case Details

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        NOTE: Our team of attorneys will review potential cases for all fifty states, including Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin and Wyoming.

        Lipitor Lawyers Seek MDL Consolidated Proceeding for Injured Claimants

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        Lipitor Diabetes Lawsuit: Plaintiffs Seek MDL as New Lawsuits Continue To Mount

        Lipitor diabetes lawsuits against Pfizer continue to mount with an increasing number of women filing product liability litigations claiming to have developed Type 2 diabetes after having been treated with its cholesterol-lowering drug. According to a Lipitor lawsuit filed in a West Virginia north federal court on October 28, the plaintiff, a resident of Martinsburg, developed Type 2 diabetes within four years of using Lipitor.

        Charlotte T. Kearnes began taking Lipitor in 2005 unaware of the fact that she would develop Type 2 diabetes and face a greater risk of heart attack, a key concern that made her to go for the cholesterol-lowering drug. In 2009, doctors diagnosed Charlotte with Type 2 diabetes. She now faces the prospect of undergoing regular blood sugar test, restricted diet, neuropathy, and higher risk of heart problems. The plaintiff was already suffering from vision problems that forced her to undergo cataract surgery. Charlotte’s lawsuit claims that she had no such problems prior using Lipitor to lower her bad cholesterol level.

        The Lipitor lawsuit was preceded by 40 similar litigations filed in a McDowell County court. The list of plaintiffs included four from New York, 10 from West Virginia, and 26 from Texas. All but four Lipitor lawsuits by plaintiffs from New York have been moved to a West Virginia south federal court in Bluefield.

        Plaintiff Seeks MDL for Lipitor Diabetes Lawsuits

        Two plaintiffs have requested the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation separately, calling for centralization of all Lipitor diabetes lawsuits filed across the federal system. The first one filed on October 10, 2013, seeks centralization in the court of South Carolina federal Judge Richard M. Gergel. According to the petition, Lipitor diabetes lawsuits have been mounting and that centralization of all litigations alleging diabetes caused by Lipitor side effects is essential to avoid duplicative discovery and conflicting rulings by courts. The petition lists 62 Lipitor lawsuits filed by 131 plaintiffs in 21 federal courts.

        In July, the MDL panel rejected such a request citing insufficient number of litigations. At that time, there were only 24 Lipitor diabetes lawsuits pending for trial in 10 states.

        The second petition for MDL centralization was filed on October 29, 2013. The motion advocates that over 70 new Lipitor diabetes lawsuits filed in the preceding two weeks and thousands such litigations are expected. MDL consolidation and centralization is the only way to ensure convenience to parties and the courts.

        Lipitor Diabetes Lawsuits

        Pfizer introduced Lipitor in 2007 with the claim that the medication was safe and reduced the risk of heart disease associated with bad cholesterol. However, in 2011, a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association expressed concern over the potential link between Lipitor and type 2 diabetes in women. The FDA ordered label changes on Lipitor in 2012 highlighting the risk. It prompted a smaller number of litigations claiming product liability against Pfizer.

        In May 2013, the British Medical Journal reported a study claiming that Lipitor put female users at 22 percent higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes when compared to other statin-class cholesterol-lowering medications. This has resulted in a surge in Lipitor lawsuits, and new lawsuits continue to be filed every week.

        Lipitor, due to its diabetes side effects, puts women at a higher risk of cardiovascular problems, the condition that forces users to buy the cholesterol-lowering drugs. The diabetes side effects of the drug may also lead to kidney damage, vision problems, nerve damage, skin disorder, and Alzheimer’s in the long run, impacting the health and life of users.

        About Us, Helping You

        Our attorneys are currently reviewing any potential case involving someone that ingested Lipitor and have sustained a Lipitor injury and been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. Our team of attorneys will review your potential case and provide a free case evaluation. We also handle Lipitor cases on a contingency fee, meaning there is no attorney’s fee unless we recover monies via a settlement or judgment. We also front all litigation expenses.

        In order to try and help you, please contact us as soon as possible:

        CALL: 1-800-632-1404

        EMAIL: clicking here

        FILL OUT THIS FORM FOR A FREE CONSULTATION AND CASE EVALUATION:

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          Case Details

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          NOTE: Our team of attorneys will review potential cases for all fifty states, including Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin and Wyoming.

          Lipitor Attorney Noting that Women Are Claiming Lipitor Causes Type 2 Diabetes

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          Lipitor Lawsuit: Woman Claims Lipitor Fostering “National Epidemic” of Diabetes

          Blockbuster cholesterol lowering drug Lipitor is fostering a “national epidemic” of Type 2 diabetes among women, claims a Lipitor diabetes lawsuit filed on August 15, 2013. California resident Aubrey Isom was diagnosed with diabetes within a year of using the drug to cut down her cholesterol and the risk of cardiovascular problems. According to her Lipitor diabetes lawsuit, manufacturer Pfizer was aware of diabetes risk linked to the anti-cholesterol drug, but did not inform the medical community or consumers. While Pfizer went to earn $125 billion, Isom now lives on restricted diet and has to take daily doses of diabetes drugs. She also faces an increased risk of heart disease, the warning that led her to take Lipitor.

          The Lipitor diabetes lawsuit filed in a central California federal court is among the several litigations filed in the United States following the February 2012 FDA order for label changes on the drug to inform users of the increased diabetes risk.

          Research on Lipitor Diabetes Risk

          Well-documented research studies starting from 2004 have indicated an elevated risk of type 2 diabetes associated with Lipitor. Medical experts state that Lipitor should be used as the last resort for reducing cholesterol or where benefits outweigh the diabetes risk.

          The Archives of Internal Medicine published a research report in January 2012 linking Lipitor to 50 percent higher risk of type 2 diabetes in postmenopausal women. The Women’s Health Initiative interviewed over 160,000 women above 50 years and less than 80 years. Researchers discovered that about 10 percent of those treated with Lipitor and similar statins developed type 2 diabetes. Almost half of those who did not use statins developed diabetes during the comparable time.

          The Journal of the American Medical Association also came out with a study that explored links between Lipitor and onset of diabetes. Published in June 2011, the report was based on five different researches involving over 32,500 Lipitor-class statin drug users. The researchers in each of the five studies attested the fact that the higher the dose, the greater the diabetes risk. The findings followed a March 2011 report in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology that warned of 33 percent higher diabetes risk caused by Lipitor over a period of five years.

          Scholars analyzed data collected from Australia, the Netherlands, the United States, and Pfizer’s own clinical trials to suggest association between Lipitor and type 2 diabetes. The risk increases with hypertension and excess weight. One of the studies indicated a higher risk of Lipitor-induced diabetes when compared with Zocor.

          The Lancet journal reported a University of Glasgo research study in February 2010 that highlighted 13 different research reports involving over 90,000 women to conclude that Lipitor and statin drugs had an enhanced diabetes risk.

          Lipitor Lawsuit

          In February 2012, the FDA issued a formal warning linking Lipitor and other statins to the potential risk of type 2 diabetes. Issued 12 years after the introduction of the drug, it triggered filing of Lipitor lawsuits across the United States seeking product liability. One of the latest Lipitor lawsuits filed on September 13, 2013 in a Louisiana district court alleges that she developed diabetes in 2011 because of side effects of the anti-cholesterol drug that she used to take to ward off heart attack. She now faces an increased threat of cardiovascular problems due to diabetes.

          A Mississippi woman has also made similar claims. Her Lipitor lawsuit filed in July 2012 claims that she had a healthy lifestyle until she was prescribed the cholesterol drug in 2009. The plaintiff gained weight and developed diabetes three years later. According to another Lipitor lawsuit filed in a Louisiana court, Dianne Christopher took the drug to cut down her low-density lipoprotein level to reduce cardiovascular disorder risk. However, she became diabetic because of Lipitor side effects and now faces an increased risk of heart problem.

          About Us, Helping You

          Our attorneys are currently reviewing any potential case involving someone that ingested Lipitor and have sustained a Lipitor injury and been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. Our team of attorneys will review your potential case and provide a free case evaluation. We also handle Lipitor cases on a contingency fee, meaning there is no attorney’s fee unless we recover monies via a settlement or judgment. We also front all litigation expenses.

          In order to try and help you, please contact us as soon as possible:

          CALL: 1-800-632-1404

          EMAIL: clicking here

          FILL OUT THIS FORM FOR A FREE CONSULTATION AND CASE EVALUATION:

            Your Name (required)

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            Case Details

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            NOTE: Our team of attorneys will review potential cases for all fifty states, including Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin and Wyoming.

            Lipitor Attorney Notes that Ingestion May Cause Type 2 Diabetes

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            Lawsuits currently allege that the ingestion of Lipitor, made by Pfizer, may cause Type 2 diabetes.  If you are or have taken the cholesteral medication Lipitor and have developed Type 2 diabetes, we may be able to help.

            The JPML has recently denied a request to transfer and consolidate actions against Pfizer, the manufacturer of the cholesterol drug Lipitor.  The panel noted that there are already a number of cases pending in the District of South Carolina that involve common counsel and that it is not appropriate at this point in time to consolidate the cases.  Furthermore, Lipitor came onto the market in the late 1990’s and is one of the three best selling prescription drugs of all time.  The label change need occurred in 2012, yet more than a year later only a relative handful of actions have been brought actually alleging a link between ingestion of Lipitor and the development of Type 2 Diabetes.  Accordingly, “a highly individualized inquiry is necessary to determine whether any particular plaintiff developed Type 2 diabetes as a result of taking Lipitor.”  It is uncertain whether the JPML would change its mind after a number of additional cases are located and filed.

            Our attorneys are currently reviewing any potential case involving someone that ingested Lipitor and have sustained a Lipitor injury and been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes.

            CALL: 1-800-632-1404

            EMAIL: clicking here

            FILL OUT THIS FORM FOR A FREE CONSULTATION AND CASE EVALUATION:

              Your Name (required)

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              Case Details

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              NOTE: Our team of attorneys will review potential cases for all fifty states, including Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin and Wyoming.