The federal government and defendants have reached a settlement for the case of meningitis outbreak in 2012. The outbreak is known to have infected more hundreds of people.
According to Fox 17 Online, a settlement has been agreed in the class-action lawsuit filed for Michigan Clinic over a 2012 fungal meningitis outbreak. The outbreak infected more than 750 people in 20 states and killed 64 people. The deal that was reached on Friday will cover the 311 patients of Michigan Pain Specialists. The survivors of the outbreak is set to share the $10.5 million settlement money.
The patients of Genoa Township clinic were injected with tainted steroids for pain, as reported by CBS Detroit. However, the steroid solution was a mixture from Framingham, Massachusetts and then shipped to other states.
Attorney of the clinic, Randy Hackney, told the press that the settlement was a fair offer. The patients are also under a $210 million settlement involving the Massachusetts center. The patients received injection with preservative-free methylprednisolone acetate prepared by the New England Compounding Center located in the Framingham.
Detroit Free Press wrote that the contaminated steroid solution was generally used in treatments for people with back pain. Even Judge David Reader stated that he was injected with such steroid to relieve his back pain. However, he added that the treatment was done several years ago before the outbreak.
Meanwhile, patients and survivors signed individual agreements to settlement terms with a pledge not to bring any further actions against the clinic. Though, it was not a requirement, it was the key to reaching the said amount. The two-year court proceedings saw the patients expressed their concerns on when they would receive their payment as many will face medical costs. These medical costs are being feared to exceed their insurance coverage while other said that they are concerned if the infections will affect their health in the future.
