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Last week the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it has begun investigating the risk of stroke, heart attack and death in men taking prescription testosterone drugs.

The announcement came on the heels of two recent two studies that suggested an increased risk of heart attacks in men who take testosterone, a hormone produced in the testicles that is responsible for maintaining muscle bulk, bone growth and sexual function, the FDA said. The FDA said it has not concluded that testosterone increases the risk of cardiac events but said it is issuing an alert "while we continue to evaluate the information from these studies and other available data."

The NFL and the retired players have reached a proposed settlement of the NFL Players’ Concussion Injury Litigation.

Under the proposed settlement, which the Court (Hon. Anita B. Brody) must analyze for fairness, reasonableness, and adequacy, the NFL has agreed to pay close to $800 million to the retired NFL players and their families, in addition to any NFL benefits they have received or will receive in the future.

Sadly, more than one million Americans suffer brain injuries each year. For some, the effects of brain injury are temporary. But all too many brain injury victims die or suffer permanent disability. The Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, and New Jersey personal injury attorneys of Locks Law Firm have experience handling traumatic brain injury cases for our clients. Here, we review the types of brain injuries that can occur.

Locks Law Firm announces that Office Depot, Inc. has offered to pay $103,766.90 to three former Assistant Managers for its failure to pay proper overtime wages from May 18, 2009 to February 2012, in connection with a lawsuit filed in the District of New Jersey, Gibbons v. Office Depot, Inc., 12 Civ 2992.  The specific amounts that Office Depot has offered to pay, and that were accepted by the workers, were $49,491.48, $32,646.22, and $21,629.20, as well as costs and attorneys fees, to be determined by the Court.

In general, there are few injuries more devastating than an injury to the brain. The brain controls virtually every function of the human body, and even a moderate injury to this all-important organ can have life-altering consequences. Tragically, many serious brain injuries could have been prevented if not for the negligent or deliberately wrongful actions of others. The Pennsylvania and New Jersey personal injury attorneys of Locks Law Firm have extensive experience in representing brain injury victims and their families, presenting the strongest possible cases on their behalf and helping to ensure that they receive the full compensation allowable by law for their losses and expenses.

The proponents of limits (caps) on lawyers fees in medical malpractice lawsuits usually arguethat this will reduce doctors premiums and reduce health care costs. The New England Journal of Medicine, one of the most prestigious medical journals in the world, just published an article disputing this claim. Here is one quote, and a link to the article:

More than 75% of physicians -- and virtually all physicians in high-risk specialties -- face a malpractice claim over the course of their careerStrategies to control costs associated with medical malpractice and defensive medicine must be responsible and targeted. These strategies must not impose arbitrary caps on damages for patients who are injured as a result of malpractice. According to the congressional Budget Office, arbitrary caps on damages would reduce national health spending by only 0.5%. But although such caps would have a barely measurable effect on costs, they might adversely affect health outcomes.

Locks Law Firm Partner Attorney Karl Friedrichs wrote an aritcle of interest titled, "Same Product, Different Liability Law in Pennsylvania and New
Jersey," about how different states have different laws in place regarding the litigation of product liability cases.

Read the article

Natural gas provides heat and energy throughout the country but gas can be exceptionally dangerous either through its explosive powers or through its products of incomplete combustion--primarily carbon monoxide. Gas which is distributed through aging pipelines in many areas of the country can erupt with explosive force and destroy lives and buildings in seconds. Nationally, over 83,000 miles of distribution lines are untreated to prevent corrosion and are aging. Many of these mains are located in urban or heavily populated areas.

The hits just keep coming for drug giant J&J who recently issued recalls for some its most popular and profitable products like Childrens Tylenol, and just last week, its Acuvue contact lenses had to be pulled from the Asian and European markets. Yesterday, J&Js DePuy Orthopedic division recalled the ASR XL Acetabular System, a hip socket used in traditional hip replacement, and the ASR Hip Resurfacing System, a partial hip replacement that involves placing a metal cap on the ball of the femur, a method intended to preserve more bone.

Locks Law Partner Steven P. Knowlton was recently published in the Philadelphia Business Journal.