Pennsylvania Workers' Compensation Lawyers Blog

The makers of Raptiva, a once-a-week injection used to treat adults who suffer from moderate to severe cases of plaque psoriasis, have announced a voluntary withdrawal of the drug from the U.S. market. The announcement comes in the wake of reports that long-term use of Raptiva may cause patients to develop progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, or PML, a rare but serious neurological disease. PML usually occurs in people with compromised immune systems. Symptoms can included confusion, dizziness or loss of balance, difficulty talking or walking, and vision problems. To date there is no known treatment for PML. In February 2009, the FDA issued a Public Health Advisory after receiving 4 reports of patients with PML. Genentech, the makers of Raptiva, planned to make the drug unavailable in the U.S. by June 2009.

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Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP) and Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI) are 2 common women's health problems that are treated with the surgical implantation of a transvaginal mesh. However, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration has received a growing number of reports that the mesh device is causing complications, including urinary problems, erosion of vaginal tissue, pain, and infection. The transvaginal mesh has not been recalled and has continued to be used by health care practitioners, despite the warnings.

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We'd like to thank a client from East Stroudsburg, PA for providing us with the following positive feedback on his experience with Michael J. O'Connor & Associates: "You never really know what you're going to get into when calling a law firm. However, this firm went above and beyond and I will recommend your services to anyone that needs legal representation in your area. Thank you so much for your professionalism, care, and concern."

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If you are injured on the job, it is important to notify your employer of your injuries as soon as possible. This fact is made even more imperative by a recent ruling by the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court. In "Gentex Corp. and Gallagher Bassett Services v. Workers' Compensation Appeal Board," the benefits previously given to a worker were revoked because it was decided that she did not give her employer an adequate description of her injuries.

Although in Pennsylvania it is not mandatory for an employee to give a precise diagnosis, he or she must provide a reasonable description of a work-related injury. In this case, the employer claimed they were not properly notified because the employee only left a message on her supervisor's voice-mail stating she had "work-related problems." The court agreed that this description was not sufficient to satisfy the notice requirement. As a result, the court reversed the award of benefits, citing that the worker did not provide an adequate description of the work-related injury or the affected body part.

Continue reading "The Importance of Notifying Your Pennsylvania Employer of a Workers Injury" »