Lawsuit claims pain med overdose killed wife

-TheTennessean

03/18/2009 - A Nashville man says too much pain medicine killed his wife after she had a hysterectomy.

David Cohen filed a lawsuit in Davidson County Circuit Court against the New Jersey-based drug manufacturer Actavis Inc., alleging that the medication came from a defective prescription patch. He is seeking $20 million in damages.

Randy Kinnard, a Nashville attorney representing Cohen and his 5-year-old daughter, said the Cohens have been advised not to speak publicly about the case.

Cohen's wife, Amy, died at home two days after her surgery in Summit Medical Center in March 2008. Her daughter found her in bed, unresponsive and not breathing, the suit alleges.

The woman had been prescribed a 50-mcg fentanyl patch, which was applied to her thigh after surgery. The patch contains a gel form of fentanyl, an opioid that is up to 100 times stronger than morphine. It is designed to deliver medication at a regulated rate for up to 72 hours.

In February 2008, Actavis recalled 14 lots of fentanyl patches because of a possible defect in the product that could cause the pain medicine to leak, resulting in overexposure to the drug, which could lead to death, the suit alleges. The recall was expanded to include all fentanyl patches sold in the United States in early March 2008.

The suit claims that the patch applied to Amy Cohen should have been included in the recall.

Mindy Noonan, a spokeswoman for Actavis Inc., said the company has not been served with the lawsuit. She declined to comment on the case.

If you or a loved one have experienced Actavis side effects you may be entitled to compensation. Contact the Actavis attorneys of Ennis & Ennis today for a free confidential case evaluation. Our on staff nurse and lawyers are standing by to answer any questions you may have regarding Actavis side effects, a possible Actavis class action lawsuit, or any other type of Actavis litigation.