AstraZeneca - Seroquel - paying corrupt doctors to destroy your health - Reject the seroquel settlement offer

AstraZeneca Seroquel - paying corrupted doctors to market seroquel & destroy your health - Reject the seroquel settlement offer - Bad Drug - Bad Offer - Demand Justice

Stories like the following from soulful sepulcher blog have played out over and over again in the sleazy marketing of the drug Seroquel. It's no mistake that you were harmed by this drug; AstraZeneca knew it was dangerous, knew it was unsafe, & knew about the devastating side effects. They simply covered it up, and then went about buying off doctors & advocacy groups to mass market this drug to the detriment of your health.

This is no crazed conspiracy therory; this is evidenced and documented fact that AstraZeneca does not want replayed over and over again before the American Public & to Juries in court rooms across America. This reported settlement offer is nothing more than a scam and cheap ploy to avoid any reasonable accountability for their criminal wrong doing & to keep you the injured party from receiving any rational semblance of justice.

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In Biederman's public shadow, Melissa Del Bello was also investigated by Senator Grassley: AstraZeneca and Seroquel, big pharma, big bucks

In the wake of the Biederman sanction by Mass General, there has been a flurry of discussion again regarding Senator Grassley's 2008 investigation of drug company payments to doctors. The focus has been mostly on Biederman, Wilens and Spencer due to their pocketing and non-disclosures of $1 million a piece.

In the shadows, lurking in the background though is another pharma money taker and that is Melissa Del Bello who sits on the conflicted(pharma income) KOL Scientific Advisory board with Biederman et al at C.A.B.F. Child Adolescent Bipolar Foundation,and "Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, Vice Chair of Clinical Research, Co-Director, Division of Bipolar Disorders Research, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Ohio". Grassley refers to these treatment guidelines in his speech.


The United States Committee on Finance
Grassley floor statement on drug company payments to doctors
Floor Statement of U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa
Pharma Payments to Doctors Wednesday, April 2, 2008

"Since last summer, I have been investigating dozens of physicians to see if they are reporting their outside income to their universities. These physicians are at public and private universities and are working at institutions of higher learning across the United States.

Today, I am going to report on the actions of one physician to explain how industry payments to medical experts can affect medical practice.

Last summer, The New York Times ran an article about several drugs called atypical antipsychotics.

These drugs are very powerful, and the New York Times reported that they are widely prescribed for children.

In the case of Seroquel, this drug became widely prescribed to treat children for bipolar disorder in 2005. And it is important to examine this drug because we have paid billions of taxpayer dollars for Seroquel in the last few years.

This happened after a group of experts decided that drugs like Seroquel worked in kids and published new guidelines in The Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

But this panel based its guidelines on a single inconclusive study from 2002.

Paid for by Astra Zeneca, the study concluded that kids did well on Seroquel, even though half of them dropped out of the study because of bad side effects.

The lead author of this study was Dr. Melissa Del Bello, a professor at the University of Cincinnati.

After reading about this story, I sent a letter to the University of Cincinnati and asked to see Dr. Del Bello's reports of outside income.

I found out that Dr. Del Bello received over $100,000 from Astra Zeneca in 2003, the year after she did the study.

The following year, the company paid her over $80,000. These payments were for lectures, consulting fees, service on advisory boards, and reimbursements for travel-related costs.

After the university sent me these records, I asked Astra Zeneca to account for money that the company had sent to Dr. Del Bello.

The numbers didn't add up. Between 2005 to 2007, Dr. Del Bello reported about $100,000 in outside income to her university.

But I found out that Astra Zeneca had paid her over $238,000-that's a big difference.And the money keeps dribbling in.

Just last week, Astra Zeneca reported to me that they had discovered an additional $1800 in payments to Dr. Del Bello. Who knows if we will ever know the full amount.

So her own university, which is supposed to be monitoring her conflicts of interest, didn't even know about the additional payments.

It seems to me that they did what many universities around the country do-they trusted their faculty to provide accurate information.

Even worse, I found out that Dr. Del Bello receives grant money from the National Institutes of Health. And according to federal regulations, universities are supposed to monitor conflicts of interest when their researchers receive NIH grants.

Obviously, the university is engaged in the practice of "trust but did NOT verify."

Another interesting thing happened while I was looking into Dr. DelBello.

According to the letter I received from the University of Cincinnati, Dr. Del Bello failed to report other money that she received from big drug companies.

It turns out that Dr. DelBello had a company which she established for "personal financial purposes.

AstraZeneca, the maker of Seroquel, paid MSZ Associates Inc., an Ohio Corporation,over $60,000.
And where do you think is the address for MSZ Associates? You got it, the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Cincinnati.

This situation is unfortunate on so many levels.

It is unfortunate for the University of Cincinnati that relied on the representations of its faculty; it is unfortunate for patients who once believed that their doctor was not for sale; and itis unfortunate that we are in a day and age where a bill promoting transparency for millions and millions of dollars going from big drug companies to American doctors is necessary.

This is just one example of a doctor who has been receiving large amounts of money from drug companies.

In this area, as in many others, a little bit of sunshine will go a long way.

The fact that a physician can promote a drug to other doctors and receive NIH funding,while hiding a very clear conflict of interest, is disturbing. And that's why we need this bill.

Because nobody is watching this money and it is having a bad effect on medical practice.Before closing I also want to say that the University of Cincinnati has and continues to be very cooperative in this investigation and it is greatly appreciated. I yield the floor." -Senator Charles Grassley, 2008



C-Span video library

Watch, listen or read the captions of Grassley's floor statement in 2008 on drug company payments to doctors, including the remarks above regarding Melissa Del Bello.








For more in-depth reading related to this topic, I would highly recommend you go over to the 1 Boring Old Man Blog to read his expert and thoughtful commentary on seroquel and the horrendous corruption that has enveloped modern day psychiatry.

AstraZeneca continues to mass market Seroquel despite safety concerns & sordid history - it's still raining profits from this storm cloud of deceit

People Magazine June 20, 2011

AstraZeneca continues to mass market Seroquel despite safety concerns & sordid history - it's still raining profits from this storm cloud of deceit

Get Off of My Cloud

  

From: Counterpunch.org/MarthaRosenberg

Seroquel's Toll

By MARTHA ROSENBERG  
January 24, 2011

Even though AstraZeneca's antipsychotic Seroquel is the fifth best-selling medication in the US according to drugs.com, exceeded only by Lipitor, Nexium, Plavix and Advair diskus, its safety, effectiveness, clinical trial and promotion records are highly checkered.

An original backer, psychiatrist Richard Borison, was sentenced to a 15-year prison sentence in 1998 for a pay-to-play Seroquel research scheme.

Its US medical director Wayne MacFadden had sexual affairs with two different women involved with Seroquel research, say published reports.

Chicago psychiatrist Michael Reinstein received $500,000 from AstraZenenca and wrote 41,000 prescriptions for Seroquel reports the Chicago Tribune and ProPublica.

Psychiatrist Charles Nemeroff who left Emory University in disgrace after a Congressional investigation for unreported pharma income, promoted Seroquel in continuing medical education courses according to the web site of psychiatrist Daniel Carlat.

Florida child psychiatrist Jorge Armenteros was chairman of the FDA committee responsible for recommending Seroquel approvals while a paid AstraZeneca speaker himself, said the Philadelphia Inquirer in 2009.

Psychiatrist Charles Schulz' high profile pro-Seroquel presentations are suspected of being colored by his AstraZeneca income says the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

And unexplained Iraq and Afghanistan troop deaths are linked to Seroquel reported the Associated Press in August.

Originally approved for schizophrenia in 1997, Seroquel has subsequently been approved for bipolar disorder, for some groups of kids and as an add-drug for depression. This "indications creep" has mostly flown below the public's radar. Seroquel expansion to treat children in late 2009, for example, was noted as a mere "label change" on the FDA web site. Hello?

Even without its depression indication, Seroquel is big business for AstraZeneca, earning $4.9 billion in sales in 2009. It is the drug that North Carolina's Medicaid spends the most on: $29.4 million per year, reports the Charlotte News and Observer.

But now, as AstraZeneca rolls out its "Still Trying to Get Ahead of Your Depression" campaign, there are new questions about Seroquel's safety and effectiveness.

According to an FDA warning letter, an AstraZeneca sales representative during an unsolicited sales call on January 3, 2008 sold Seroquel as a treatment for major depressive disorder to a physician before it was approved for MDD, an infraction which is illegal.

Once Seroquel was approved for depression (as an add-on treatment to an antidepressant for patients with major depressive disorder who not have an adequate response to antidepressant therapy), its leave-behind sheets drew another FDA warning letter.

AstraZeneca implied patients would achieve "remission" from depression with Seroquel XR (extended release) as opposed to with an antidepressant alone, says FDA -- a claim not backed up by clinical experience.

Seroquel's effect on depression has only been demonstrated in two, six-week trials FDA further said and six weeks is "not a long enough time period to adequately assess remission." (It was approved...why?)

Also the case study of "Catherine F." depicted in leave-behind sheets is inaccurate says FDA because it suggests Seroquel alleviates "symptoms of sadness and loss of interest when this has not been demonstrated by substantial evidence or substantial clinical experience." (It was approved...why?)

Even AstraZeneca's own briefing to the FDA committee in 2009 admits a "failed study" in which both Seroquel and Lexapro "failed to differentiate from placebo" which is Clinical Trial for "didn't work."

Nor did AstraZeneca adequately disclose Seroquel risks says FDA which include increased mortality in elderly patients with dementia-related psychosis, suicidality, neuroleptic malignant syndrome, hyperglycemia and diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, weight gain and other serious side effects.

In fact, in addition to risks like cataracts, seizures and increases in blood pressure in children and adolescents, already on the Seroquel label, FDA asked AstraZeneca to add the "risk of EPS and withdrawal syndrome in neonates" a few months ago: movement disorders which can affect mothers' babies if the mothers are taking Seroquel and stop.

But the FDA might also look at what the government's other hand is doing. In May the Office of the Army Surgeon General's final report on the findings of its Pain Management Task Force unabashedly hawks Seroquel for an unapproved use.

"Physicians should consider these medications for sleep disorders," says the 163-page report," listing Ambien and Seroquel (quetiapine) "for nightmares" even though Seroquel has never been approved for insomnia, sleep disorders or "nightmares."

Maybe the government will send itself a warning letter. 

REJECT the Seroquel Settlement Offer - Plaintiff Law Firms - sleazy backroom deals and the marketing of a bad settlement to those injured by Seroquel

REJECT the Seroquel Settlement Offer - Plaintiff Law Firms - sleazy backroom deals and the marketing of a bad settlement to those injured by Seroquel

It's no mistake that the plaintiff law firms are marketing this offer for AstraZeneca (it's in their own $$ Interest, Not the injured parties best interest). This is all part of those sleazy secret back room deals that they won't talk to their clients about. 

In Fact these plaintiff law firms appear to have laid down groveling for mercy like the submissive bitches gutless thieves they are, before pure evil AstraZeneca and their billion dollar demon legal team. 

This is not what injured parties sought or signed onto when they went searching for justice related to the horrendous crimes AstraZeneca perpetrated against them. Read between the lines & what the following statements by one of the plaintiff laws firms in this litigation is really saying. 

There is NO JUSTICE what so ever in this settlement offer.  This is only another sweet heart deal for AstraZeneca and Plaintiff Law Firms...No admission of wrong doing, No fair or adequate compensation to victims, No trial, No jury....No verdict...NO JUSTICE....


From Howard Nations Law Firm ,One of the many Plaintiff law firms involved in the Seroquel tort litigation.

Frequently asked Question regarding Seroquel Litigation Settlement:

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1) After I sign and return the documents, when will I receive my funds?
AstraZeneca will not allow any claimant in this settlement to receive money until almost all of the claimants return their signed packet. The sooner all documents are signed and returned to us, the sooner you will be paid. AstraZeneca estimates no claimant shall receive their settlement funds before October 1, 2011.

2) What happens if I do not sign and return the settlement documents?

If you do not sign and return the documents, you will not be included in this settlement and you will not receive any money from this settlement. Please review the documents in your settlement packet regarding your option to decline this settlement. It is our opinion that this is the best opportunity for you to receive any compensation for your claims in the foreseeable future. 


3) How will the funds be sent to me?
When AstraZeneca has approved enough settlement packets, you will be issued a check. Final checks will be issued after all claimants have submitted their forms, liens have been cleared and final expenses have been determined. If you have special instructions for your payment (such as a Special Needs Trust), you should let us know by including that information on a separate sheet of paper and returning it with your settlement documents. If you do not have a bank account, you should open one now to expedite the safe receipt of your funds.


4) How was my settlement amount calculated?
The Seroquel claims have been settled based on AstraZeneca’s costs of continuing to defend these cases rather than the nature and extent of claimants’ injuries. There is no proper legal basis to offer any claimant more or less than another claimant. All claimants are being offered the same amount. After we receive your signed settlement documents, control of your file goes to an Independent Settlement Administrator for deduction of attorneys’ fees, expenses, and any liens. Bankruptcy issues will also be addressed at that time. For more information regarding Bankruptcy and your settlement



5) When will I receive my final payment?
It will take several months for the entire settlement to fund since we must collect the signed settlement documents from all clients and forward them to AstraZeneca to review and approve. AstraZeneca estimates no claimant shall receive their settlement funds before October 1, 2011. Final payments will not be mailed until all lien and Bankruptcy issues related to your claim have been resolved.


6) Is there any way I can get paid sooner?
We will work with the Settlement Administrator to release your money as quickly as possible but we need your cooperation. The best way you can speed up the process is by sending back your signed documents as soon as possible. Keep in mind that we must receive signed settlement documents back from almost all of our clients and they must be approved by AstraZeneca before any money can be released. We will do all we can to speed up the process, but nothing can happen until we receive the signed settlement documents back in our office.


7) Can I discuss this confidential settlement with anyone?
You must not disclose the terms of this Settlement, including your settlement offer amount, to anyone except your lawyers, your accountant and/or financial advisors. 


8) Do I have to pay back Medicare or Medicaid when I receive my check?

No. Any obligation to repay Medicare or Medicaid will be deducted before you receive your check.


9) What if I have filed for Bankruptcy?
If you have ever filed for Bankruptcy, we must know where you stand at the time of settlement. If you have filed in the past or are considering filing in the future, you must notify us immediately so we can discuss what needs to be done to finalize your settlement. You may email us at seroquel@howardnations.com.


10) What if I borrowed money against my settlement?
If you borrowed money against your settlement, your lender should have put us on notice of the loan, and we are required to deduct funds from your settlement to repay the loan before your settlement money can be released to you. Please refer to the agreement you entered into with the lender for details regarding what you owe.


11.) Will this settlement affect my government benefits such as disability, Medicare or Medicaid?
Our firm does not advise clients on the effect of settlements on government benefits other than to recommend that you confer with a specialist. Many states impose a general cap on allowed income and assets in determining eligibility for benefits. Therefore, settlement money may be an important factor for purposes of determining your eligibility to receive or continue to receive benefits and whether a period of ineligibility for benefits is applicable in your case. If you are currently receiving or seeking to receive SSI, Medicaid, or any other needs-based government benefits, we strongly advise you to immediately contact an attorney who specializes in government benefits, estate planning, special needs trusts, or elder law, to provide you further information and assist you in this area prior to your acceptance of this settlement offer.

12.) I’ve been calling the phone number provided for the Settlement Hotline and I always get a recording. Why am I not getting a live person?
Your questions are very important to us. However, in order to more efficiently handle your settlement, we have set up this hotline. All messages will be returned as quickly as possible. We ask for your patience as we try to get you and all of our clients paid as quickly as possible. Remember that you can also send us an email to seroquel@howardnations.com.

SEROQUEL maker AstraZeneca sponsors (nongovernment) study: SHIELD -understanding diabetes mellitus! oh the irony!

The antipsychotic Seroquel has a black box warning for diabetes. How ironic that AstraZeneca has sponsored the largest nongovernment study of the risks of type 2 diabetes.

If one was to speculate on the inner-goings-on behind the scenes in boardroom meetings, one would question whether or not this was in fact a strategic plan, to counter the negative outcome of the diabetes side effect in AstraZeneca's blockbuster Seroquel. What better plan could there be to creating lifetime customers?

If you can't beat them join them? smack the injured parties in the face?

Just this week AstraZeneca and Bristol-Myers Squibb announced their new diabetes drug dapagliflozin being developed has shown increased bladder and breast cancers in patients using the drug.

The development of a diabetes pill by 2 antipsychotic makers with drugs that have black box warnings for diabetes as a side effect is ironic enough, now we have AstraZeneca sponsoring a study on diabetes management.

This is a corporation, this is business, not philanthropy, not a feel good mission on behalf of AstraZeneca, this is a direct target into a market they essentially created with their drug: Seroquel induced diabetes.

There were 26,000 people who filed cases to sue AstraZeneca for taking Seroquel and becoming diabetic, that is 26,000 people who are possible candidates for their new pill, and the future market after the damage of Seroquel has been done.

Question for Seroquel victims: would you use this pill? would you participate in a study sponsored by the pharmaceutical company that sold the pill that gave you diabetes? would you have participated in SHIELD?

AZ Connections blog:

"The SHIELD study (The Study to Help Improve Early evaluation and management of risk factors Leading to Diabetes) showed that patients with risk factors related to their age, family history, and obesity significantly increase their risk of transition to type 2 diabetes by as much as 300 to 500 percent. Doctors who understand pre-diabetes risk factors and ask the right questions of their patients can quickly identify at-risk patients before they develop the disease, the study suggests."

Did AstraZeneca include a question of whether or not the person became diabetic as a result of ingesting quetiapine,Seroquel? The stats are skewed in percentages of adults and kids with diabetes in ALL surveys if that is not included. Considering the antipsychotic Seroquel is being dosed out for insomnia and anxiety, the possibilities are HUGE--that people are diabetic as a result of taking that pill. Those factors should be addressed.

Graph from the AZ Connections blog

"The SHIELD study is the largest nongovernmental study of its kind and was sponsored by AstraZeneca. SHIELD was a population-based survey conducted from 2004 to 2009 to better understand the risk for the development of diabetes mellitus, as well as disease burden.

“This collection of patient self-reported data has given us valuable real-world evidence of how doctors can help patients manage their risks of developing type 2 diabetes,” said Susan Grandy, PhD, Value Demonstration Leader and SHIELD Study Director, Health Economics & Outcomes Research at AstraZeneca."


ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS MAY LEAD TO EARLIER INTERVENTION IN PRE-DIABETES

From the AstraZeneca website:

June 28, 2011

"Asking the right questions may lead to earlier intervention in pre-diabetes

Could reduce rate of transition to type 2 diabetes, according to SHIELD study

June 28, 2011 – San Diego, CA – Predictors for type 2 diabetes are easily identifiable, according to a large community study undertaken to understand diabetes and the disease burden, and may lead to earlier intervention for people at risk. The findings were presented today at the American Diabetes Association’s 71st Annual Scientific Sessions.

SHIELD (The Study to Help Improve Early evaluation and management of risk factors Leading to Diabetes) is the largest non-governmental study of its kind.1 AstraZeneca (NYSE: AZN) sponsored the study.

SHIELD data demonstrated that simple, easily available information, e.g., age, family history, obesity - characteristics adults can self-identify - are strong predictors for developing type 2 diabetes. The presence of these factors significantly boosts risk of transition, by as much as 300%-500%. Furthermore, clinicians may not need any other patient-reported symptom besides excessive thirst to further screen for type 2 diabetes. Active understanding of these pre-diabetes risk factors and early intervention may reduce transition to type 2 diabetes.

“We need to slow down the rate of transition to type 2 diabetes, said Helena W. Rodbard, MD, Endocrine and Metabolic Consultants in Rockville, MD and SHIELD study investigator. “SHIELD data can, ideally, be used to simplify the process by which clinicians identify and screen patients at risk of progressing, and help those in need get required support earlier.”

About SHIELD
SHIELD (The Study to Help Improve Early Evaluation and management of risk factors Leading to Diabetes) was a 5-year longitudinal population-based survey conducted from 2004 to 2009 to better understand the risk for the development of diabetes mellitus, as well as disease burden. The objectives of SHIELD have been to assess:

•Prevalence and incidence of diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease (CVD)
•Disease burden
•Disease progression and transition from pre-disease to diagnosed disease
•Risk predictors of transitioning from pre-disease to diagnosed disease
•Knowledge, attitudes and behaviors regarding health

Of the 200,000 households that received the screening questionnaire in 2004, 127,420 households (containing a total of 211,097 adults) returned completed questionnaires.1 The follow-up baseline survey was mailed to 22,001 respondents to be followed over the subsequent five years with annual surveys.


The evaluation of transition to type 2 diabetes was analyzed from 11,238 respondents who had no diagnosis of diabetes at baseline and completed at least one or more follow-up surveys."
-----


HOW ABOUT EARLY PREVENTION BEING DON'T TAKE SEROQUEL OR YOU MIGHT BECOME DIABETIC?

THE 26,000 SEROQUEL LAWSUIT CASES WERE PREVENTABLE. AstraZeneca knew the drug could cause diabetes which is documented in internal papers and emails. The company buried the data and sold the drug anyway.

If you were injured with  lifetime diabetes as a result of taking Seroquel, find a lawyer if you can find one willing to get your case to trial, with a jury, because a grave injustice has been done to you, in fact it's a corporate crime that the company has not admitted guilt for committing.

You deserve better than that, and AstraZeneca wants to create a diabetes pill for you as a consolation gift. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$




*Editor of AZ Health Connections is Tony Jewell the PR spokesman typically quoted in articles when litigation or DoJ fines are reported, he usually 'denies guilt' as a representative of AstraZeneca. This could deem him 'the voice of evil'....at least to innocent victims of  the Seroquel scandal resulting in diabetes due to skewed and buried data, but we'll leave the description at Editor of AZ Health Connections for now.

AstraZeneca Seroquel - Miscarriage of Justice - Bad Drug – Bad Settlement –Injured Parties being Victimized yet again by their own Legal Representation – Settlement Rejection Coming

AstraZeneca Seroquel - Miscarriage of Justice - Bad Drug – Bad Settlement  –Injured  Parties being Victimized yet again by their own Legal Representation – Settlement Rejection Coming

This is another post in a continuing series of articles regarding AstraZeneca – Seroquel, the litigation, and about those that were injured by this dangerous, illegally marketed, & serious hidden side effects consequences resulting from AstraZeneca’s actions & this drug.

In the past I’ve written about how our federal government through the department of justice allowed a settlement of 520 million dollars for these many crimes and for the recovery of fraudulent Medicare monies to happen without any admission of wrong doing or guilt. How states have signed onto another 86 millions dollars in settlement dollars involving Medicare fraud and other related crimes, again without any admission of wrong doing or guilt.

Links: AstraZeneca Seroquel Litigation - is the civil settlement real or just another rip off

Seroquel Lawsuit - Are Plaintiff Law Firms working in their clients (injured parties) best interest or just their own?

Today let us focus upon the real victims as it relates to the continued suffering and injustice being perpetrated by AstraZeneca’s unconscionable actions & the plaintiff law firms that are supposed to be representing victims best interest.

They are those unfortunate citizens that took this drug and are now suffering the dire consequences with life long conditions including diabetes and various other documented side effects (including death) caused by the ingestion of Seroquel.

In correspondence with an unnamed confidential plaintiff in this Seroquel litigation; I hope to bring the reader new and eye opening information as it comes to light.

From a phone correspondence as relayed to me by my source:

Thursday June 23, 2011 - Megan Elliot administrative assistant for “YouHaveALawyer” or Saiontz & Kirk P.A. youhavealawyer.com

How much compensation did your firm receive to sell my case? I can answer that one, its split 50/50 depending on whether it was fee of 33% or 40%; it would be 16.5% or 20% for each firm.

The other questions asked would be relayed to the Miller Firm LLC and source was told they should receive a response from them Monday or Tuesday.

----

Monday June 27, 2011 paraphrased answers Kate Hamilton Miller Firm LLC representative millerfirmllc :

Source was told the compensation to buy my case was said to be 50% of 40% contingency fee correct? Saiontz&Kirk are considered co-counsel.

So even though Saiontz&Kirk P.A. can’t answer questions regarding the sources case or were involved in the mediation or actual ongoing litigation you consider them co-counsel? Saiontz & Kirk are a attorney referral service we use

I understand that part of this agreement is that the Miller Firm LLC has agreed to promote and have 100% acceptance/compliance to this (unknown to me) reached settlement agreement? I’m not sure it’s worded that way, as I’m not familiar with the Zyprexa settlement: we believe this is a good/fair settlement and will not be representing any injured parties further if they decline this settlement offer.

I would like to request all discovery and related materials to do with my case including transcripts or notes from the mediation so I can seek further representation when I refuse this publicly reported or estimated poor settlement offer? There are no mediation notes or transcripts, the attorney’s just get together and talk. We’ll send you a copy of your file.

Source was told on numerous occasions false or misleading information about receiving this “settlement packet”, what new news can you offer me at this time? The Medicare holdback is about 45% complete, and we expect the packets going out in 30 to 45 days (this is would a year after Bloomberg news reported a settlement had been reached in the seroquel litigation)

This was another one of those unsatisfactory conversations with the Miller Firm LLC that is supposedly working for this sources best interest.

What the source gleaned from this questioning interaction was that Saiontz & Kirk is a case/claim broker. They advertise, gather hundreds of cases, and sell them to other firms for a nice profit with virtual little or no risk.

Here the source was under the impression that Saiontz & Kirk had accepted this case & were going to represent aggressively this sources' best interest. Instead, it appears the source was nothing much more than a case commodity to sell off for profit. Talk about being betrayed & mislead! One could gather “co-counsel” actually means simply a 20% client finders fee in the legal world of today. That’s some code of ethical conduct the legal profession has going on there.

Source also found out that what the “Miller Firm LLC” considers a good deal; means it’s a good deal for them, and it doesn’t really matter what their “bought” client thinks, believes, or what is in the actual injured parties’ best interest. This is all about the wheeling and dealing; quick settlements and big payoffs for these firms.

It will be interesting to know with further investigation whether the Miller Firm LLC had any cases prepared for trial, did any thorough vetting of cases, did due diligence in gathering pertinent information for each client they represented, or if they even ever intended to take a single case to trial.

I can only make an educated assumption/guess from their distant and cool attitudes and interactions with their client; they probably never planned or intended to represent anyone in an actual trial before  a jury. That would have cost them too much money and risk; especially when they have their sure easy payoff in this secret deal.

 _________________________________

Someone recently posted what was reported to be their seroquel injury settlement offer on the Topix Seroquel Lawsuit Forum

DISCLAIMER about Topix Forum: this forum has a long and checkered history of providing spam, false, and misleading information. To use any reports generated from postings there; one would need to always verify the information with well documented & collaborating evidence. The following post is being used solely as a broad & fictional example, and should not be considered absolute truth, or should it be relied upon as actual concrete or substantial evidence.

http://www.topix.com/forum/drug/seroquel/THGBMKUTV8QPJDVUL/p93

Clarence

Wichita Falls, TX #1893

Friday Jun 24

“Received settlement packet from The Garretson Resolution Group on June 16, 2011. I was in the non-insulin diabetic group. Total estimated gross award amount was $18,321.76. 40% estimated gross attorney fee $7,328.70. Estimated settlement amount after attorney fee $10,993.06. Estimated settlement amount after fees and expenses $10,375.25. Estimated Medicare Holdback $7,328.64. Estimated Net Amount Due To Claimant $3,046.61”

Even if these reported above figures are anywhere within the ballpark of reality…it would be made quite clear to any casual observer or interested party who’s best interest  are being served.

 It is definitely not rocket science after all to conclude that claimants/injured parties interest were a very minor focus in this reported secret negotiated settlement mediation proceedings between the AstraZeneca’s Legal Team and Plaintiff Attorney’s.

Attorney Fee $ 7328.70 (more than Twice the amount the injured party will receive)

Fees??: just over $600 (one can only guess this is for another law firm to do administrative work in coordinating who gets what and the distribution of settlement packets)

Government - Medicare Holdback $7,328.64 (more than twice the amount of what the injured party will receive; plus this amount is on top of the DOJ 520 million and States 86 million recovery)

Claimant – Injured party$3,046.61 (that is the person who has been directly injured by Seroquel; who will have a life time detrimental health condition and will incur massive medical expenses, a permanent disability, experience loss in quality of life, continued suffering, a shortened life span, and a whole host of other related negative factors)

-----------------

 So what are the ethical and legal responsibilities of the Plaintiff Attorney’s – here’s a broad generalized overview of their responsibilities brought to you by wikipedia;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_injury_lawyer

Responsibilities

A personal injury lawyer has numerous responsibilities in serving his or her clients. These responsibilities encompass both professional and ethical rules and codes of conduct set forth by state bar associations where the lawyers are licensed. Once licensed to practice law by their state bar association, lawyers are legally permitted to file legal complaints, argue cases in state court, draft legal documents, and offer legal advice to victims of personal injury.
Also referred to as a plaintiff lawyer, a personal injury lawyer is responsible for interviewing prospective clients and evaluating their cases to determine the legal matter, identify the distinct issues rooted within the plaintiff’s larger problem, and extensively research every issue to build a strong case. The ultimate professional responsibility of a personal injury lawyer is to help plaintiffs obtain the justice and compensation they deserve for their losses and suffering through advocacy, oral arguments, client counseling, and legal advice.
Personal injury lawyers must also adhere to strict standards of legal ethics when dealing with clients. While the guidelines vary according to state, the basic codes of conduct state that a lawyer must knowledgeably evaluate legal matters and exercise competence in any legal matter undertaken. Moreover, personal injury lawyers owe their clients a duty of loyalty and confidentiality and must work to protect their clients’ best interests.
-----

I can only suggest if you or a loved one is involved in the seroquel litigation, that you contact your state bar association and the federal attorney generals office to file a formal request for an investigation & complaint.