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The Texas Lawyers Blog provides useful information on the law and Texas lawyers. For more information on this Blog or a legal topic, please feel free to submit an inquiry or send an e-mail message to blog@texaslawyers.com

Monday, May 30, 2011

Neural Tube Birth Defect Lawsuit, Antidepressant Neural Tube Birth Defect Lawsuit, Drug Neural Tube Birth Defect Lawsuit, Developmentally Disabled Child Lawsuit, Spinal Cord Birth Defect Lawsuit, and SSRI Birth Defect Lawsuit Information

Neural Tube Birth Defect Lawsuit, Antidepressant Neural Tube Birth Defect Lawsuit, Drug Neural Tube Birth Defect Lawsuit, Developmentally Disabled Child Lawsuit, Spinal Cord Birth Defect Lawsuit, Brain Birth Defect Lawsuit, and Birth Defect Lawsuit Information
by Texas Neural Tube Birth Defect Lawyer Jason S. Coomer

Neural tube birth defect lawsuits include drug lawsuits where a pregnant woman was on a medication during pregnancy and the drug prevented normal development of their child's neural tube resulting in brain, spinal cord, and/or other neurological problems. The neural tube is the embryonic structure that develops into the brain and spinal cord. In most pregnant women, the neural tube normally folds inward and closes by the 28th day after conception. When the neural tube fails to close completely or develop properly, defects of the brain, spinal cord and vertebrae can result in the child.  These neural tube birth defects can result in death or serious nerve damage that can cause permanent paralysis, disabilities, and severe health problems. The two most common neural tube defects are spina bifida and anencephaly.


Neural tube defects are serious birth defects caused by incomplete development of the brain, spinal cord and/or their protective coverings.  These brain and spinal cord birth defects occur when the fetus' spine fails to close properly during the early stages of pregnancy.

Spina Bifida Birth Defect Lawyer, Drug Neural Tube Defect Lawyer, Infant Spinal Cord Defect Lawyer, Drug Brain Birth Defect Lawyer, Depakote Spina Bifida Defect Lawyer, and Spina Bifida Dangerous Drug Lawyer
By Texas Spina Bifida Attorney Jason S. Coomer

Spina bifida is the most common neural tube defect and it is estimated that there are approximately 70,000 people in the United State living with spina bifida.  It is an all too common birth defect in the United States affecting about approximately 1,500 new born babies each year.

In a child that has a spina bifida birth defect, the fetal spinal column doesn't close completely during the first month of pregnancy.  These children typically suffer nerve damage from the birth defect that causes at least some paralysis of the child's legs. Severe cases of spina bifida can result in full or partial paralysis and other problems such as hydrocephalus, bowel and bladder problems, and learning disabilities.

There are several forms of spina bifida and the birth defect can cause mild to severe health problems.  Myelomeningocele spina bifida is the most severe form of spina bifida.  Myelomeningocele is where the spinal cord and meninges protrude from a spinal opening.  In myelomeningocele spina bifida cases, the new born child will require surgery after birth to put the exposed nerves and cord into the spinal canal.  Children with myelomingocele are at high risk of infection until the back is closed surgically. In spite of surgery,  in these myelomeningocele spina bifida cases, some nerve damage is usually permanent and will include paralysis and bowel and bladder problems.

For more information on Spina Bifida and Spina Bifida Lawsuits, please go to the following web page on Spina Bifida Lawsuit Information.

SSRI Birth Defect Lawsuits, SSRI Neural Tube Birth Defect Lawsuits, Primary Pulmonary Hypertension in Newborns (PPHN) Lawsuits, Prozac Birth Defect Lawsuits, Zoloft Lawsuits, and Paxil Birth Defect Lawsuits

A growing body of evidence indicates that several drugs and medications, if used during pregnancy, may cause serious birth defects.  These drugs include selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitor SSRI antidepressants.  Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are commonly used as antidepressants. Drugs included in the SSRI class are Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, Symbyax, Celexa, Cymbalta, Effexor and Lexapro.

These SSRI antidepressants may cause birth defects and developmental problems if taken during pregnancy.  Some potential birth defects and developmental problems include neural tube birth defects, heart defects, cleft palates, cleft lips, clubbed feet, as well as other malformations and developmental problems.  These selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) drugs have been strongly marketed by the drug companies and are commonly used to treat depression and other disorders.

Some of the most popular SSRI antidepressants are:
For more information on SSRI Antidepressant Birth Defect Lawsuits, please follow this link to the following SSRI Antidepressant Birth Defect Lawsuit Information web page

Depakote Spina Bifida Lawsuit Information, Depakote Birth Defect Lawsuit Information, Depakote ER Spina Bifida Lawsuit Information, Depakote Cleft Palate Lawsuit Information, Depakote Malformation Lawsuit Information, Depakote Cleft Lip Lawsuit Information, & Defective Drug Birth Defect Lawsuit Information

The drug, Depakote, aka Depakote ER, Depakene, Depacon, Epival, Dépakine Chrono,Valance, and divalproex sodium (USAN) is a drug prescribed to treat seizures, migraine headaches, manic episodes of bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, prevention of both manic and depressive phases of bipolar disorder, epilepsy, chronic pain associated with neuropathy, and migraine headaches. Further, with the increase in pharmaceutical marketing off-label use of the drug has become more prevalent including treatment of mild depression, the depressive stage of bi-polar disorder, and chronic pain such as migraine headaches.
Depakote has been linked to major birth defects in children of women that were taking this drug.  According to a recent medical scientific study, women taking Depakote had four times the risk of delivering a child with major birth defects, compared to women taking other, similar drugs.  The range of birth defects associated with Depakote is broad, however the report specifically cited neural tube defects such as spina bifida. Neural tube defects are birth defects that affect the brain and spinal cord; spinal bifida is a defect affecting the spinal cord that causes paralysis of the legs. There is no known cure.

In addition to spina bifida and neural tube birth defects, other birth defects that may be caused by Depakote include cleft palate, cleft lip, heart defects, limb and digital deformities, facial dysmorphism, mental developmental delays, and (difficult) genitourinary malformations.

For more information on Depakote Spina Bifida Lawsuits, Depakote Cleft Palate Lawsuits, and other Depakote Birth Defect Lawsuits, please feel free to go to the following web page on Depakote Spina Bifida Lawsuit and Depakote Birth Defect Lawsuit Information

 Topamax Birth Defect Lawyer, Topiramate Birth Defect Lawyer, Topamax Heart Defect Lawyer, Topamax Cleft Palate Lawyer, Topamax Cleft Lip Lawyer, and Antiepileptic Drug (APD) Birth Defect Lawyer 
(Topamax and Topiramate Birth Defect Lawsuits)
 
Topiramate (brand name Topamax) is a anticonvulsant drug. It has been approved for the treatment of epilepsy and migraines, but has been aggressively marketed for many off-label uses including bipolar disorder, cluster headaches, eating disorders, obesity, fibromyalgia, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), alcoholism, sleep disorders, sleep-eating disorders, infantile spasms, autism, periventricular leukomalacia in preterm infants after an hypoxic-ischemic injury, essential tremor, bulimia nervosa, obsessive-compulsive disorder, smoking cessation, idiopathic intracranial hypertension, neuropathic pain, and cocaine dependence.  If you or a loved one have been taking Topamax during pregnancy and had a child with a birth defect, it is important to seek medical assistance.

The FDA recommends that "before starting topiramate, pregnant women and women of childbearing potential should discuss other treatment options with their health care professional. Women taking topiramate should tell their health care professional immediately if they are planning to or become pregnant. Patients taking topiramate should not stop taking it unless told to do so by their health care professional. Women who become pregnant while taking topiramate should talk to their health care professional about registering with the North American Antiepileptic Drug Pregnancy Registry, a group that collects information about outcomes in infants born to women treated with antiepileptic drugs during pregnancy."
 
The FDA has recently announced that Topiramate (brand name Topamax) causes an increased risk of development of cleft lip and/or cleft palate (oral clefts) in infants born to women treated with Topamax (topiramate) during pregnancy. If you or a loved one have been taking Topamax during pregnancy and had a child with a birth defect, it is important to seek medical assistance.  

For more information on a Topamax Cleft Liph Defect Lawsuit, Topamax Cleft Palate Lawsuit, and other Topamax Birth Defect Lawsuit, please feel free to go to the following web page on Topamax Cleft Palate Lawsuit and Topamax Cleft Lip Birth Defect Lawsuit Information.

Birth Defect Lawsuit, Pharmaceutical Birth Defect Lawsuit, Antidepressant Birth Defect Lawsuit, Drug Birth Defect Lawsuit, Infant Disability Lawsuit, Drug Birth Injury Lawsuit, Developmentally Disabled Child Lawsuit, and Birth Injury Lawsuit Information by Texas Birth Defect Lawyer and Drug Birth Defect Lawyer Jason S. Coomer

Several medications, products, and drugs have been linked to birth defects including neural tube defects, cleft palate, cleft lips, and spina bifida.  Unfortunately, through strong marketing pressure some drug companies have been continuing to push doctors to prescribe drugs to pregnant women that may cause severe birth defects.  These birth defects can result in death or injury to an infant including malformation, permanent paralysis, disabilities, and severe health problems.

For more information on Drug Birth Defect Lawsuits, Antidepressant Drug Birth Defect Lawsuits, and other Birth Defect Lawsuits, please feel free to go to the following web page on Drug Birth Defect Lawsuit Lawsuit, SSRI Birth Defect Lawsuit, and Antidepressant Lawsuit Information.

Monday, May 2, 2011

Illegal Offshore Account Tax Fraud Whistleblower Award Lawsuit, Corporate Tax Fraud Informant Reward Lawsuit, & Tax Fraud Whistleblower Recovery Lawsuit Information

Tax Fraud Whistleblower Award Lawsuit, IRS Tax Fraud Whistleblower Reward Lawsuit, Corporate Tax Fraud Informant Award Lawsuit, Taxpayer Fraud Whistleblower Recovery Lawsuit, IRS Whistleblower Reward Lawsuit,  Illegal Offshore Account Tax Fraud Whistleblower Lawsuit, Federal Whistleblower Reward Lawsuit & IRS Whistleblower Payment for Detection of Fraud Lawsuit Information 
by Texas Illegal Offshore Account Tax Fraud Whistleblower Reward Lawyer and Tax Fraud Whistleblower Recovery Lawyer Jason Coomer

In 2006, the Tax Relief and Health Care Act that was signed into law included a whistleblower reward amendment that created mandatory reward language to the IRS to create a mandatory economic incentive to encourage tax fraud whistleblowers to step forward to help the government detect large scale fraudulent schemes.  By offering large potential rewards for reporting multimillion tax fraud schemes, the IRS has received hundreds of tax fraud tips from tax fraud informants regarding taxpayer fraud and massive violations of the tax code costing taxpayers Billions of dollars.  Many of the tips already received include fraud schemes of hundreds of millions and tens of millions of dollars.  It is estimated that this programs will result in hundreds of billions of dollars or even Trillions of dollars in tax fraud being detected.  

The economic incentives in the Tax Whistleblower Reward Programs are designed to encourage insider tax fraud informants and tax fraud whistleblowers with knowledge and evidence of large tax violations and tax fraud schemes to step forward and report the massive tax fraud.  The IRS is hoping that there will be several tax fraud whistleblowers and tax fraud informants that will help them detect and collect on an estimated $3 Trillion in illegal offshore accounts as well as several other tax-avoidance schemes that have been perpetrated by billionaires and millionaires as well as large corporations.

The IRS Whistleblower Reward Amendment requires the Internal Revenue Service to pay rewards to whistleblowers who exposed large scale tax fraud and taxpayer fraud including major tax underpayments, violations of the Internal Revenue Code, or other fraudulent schemes to unlawfully not pay taxes.  The IRS Whistleblower Reward Program is aimed at large multimillion dollar fraud schemes and tax violations in that the total amount of fraud or underpayment of taxes in dispute would have to exceed $2 million.

The IRS will pay the tax fraud whistleblower or tax fraud informant if the information presented substantially contributes to the collection of money by the IRS.  As such, the tax fraud whistleblower should have inside knowledge of and documentation of the tax fraud to be successful.

Tax Fraud Whistleblower Reward Lawsuit, IRS Tax Fraud Whistleblower Award Lawsuit, Corporate Tax Fraud Lawsuit, Taxpayer Fraud Whistleblower Recovery Lawsuit, IRS Whistleblower Reward Lawsuit,  Federal Whistleblower Reward Lawsuit & IRS Whistleblower Payment for Detection of Fraud Lawsuit Information 

To qualify for a whistleblower award under section 7623 (b), the information must:
  • Relate to a tax noncompliance matter in which tax, penalties, interest, additions to tax and additional amounts in dispute exceed $2,000,000.00
  • Relate to a taxpayer, and in the case of an individual taxpayer, one whose gross income exceeds $200,000.00 for at least one of the tax years in question
If the information meets the above criteria and substantially contributes to a decision by the IRS to take administrative or judicial action that results in the collection of tax, penalties, interest, additions in tax and additional amounts, then the IRS will pay an award of at least fifteen percent, but not more than thirty percent of what the IRS collects.  26 U.S.C. at 7623(b)(1).

Tax Fraud Whistleblower Reward Lawyer, IRS Tax Fraud Whistleblower Award Lawyer, Corporate Tax Fraud Lawyer, Taxpayer Fraud Whistleblower Recovery Lawyer, IRS Whistleblower Reward Lawyer,  Illegal Offshore Account Tax Fraud Whistleblower Lawyer, Federal Whistleblower Reward Lawyer & IRS Whistleblower Payment for Detection of Fraud Lawyer

For more information on Illegal Offshore Account Tax Fraud Whistleblower Reward Lawsuits, IRS Tax Fraud Whistleblower Award Lawsuits, and other Tax Fraud Whistleblower Recovery Lawsuits, please feel free to click on the following link, Corporate Tax Fraud Lawsuits & Tax Fraud Whistleblower Lawsuits

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Corporate Illegal Kickback Whistleblower Recovery Lawsuit & Contract Bribe Whistelblower Award Lawsuit Information

Foreign Corporation Illegal Bribe Whistleblower Award Lawyer, Corporate Illegal Kickback Whistleblower Reward Lawyer, Violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Whistleblower Recovery Lawyer,  FCPA SEC  Whistleblower Lawyer, SEC Whistleblower Incentive Program Lawyer, & Illegal Bribe Bounty Action Lawyer by Texas Corporate Bribe Whistleblower Lawyer and Illegal Kickback Whistleblower Recovery Lawyer Jason Coomer
 
Under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and the new SEC Whistleblower Incentive Program, whistleblowers with original and specialized knowledge and evidence of corporate bribes and illegal kickbacks are eligible to recover large economic awards.  By gathering this evidence and going through a lawyer, these whistleblowers can protect their identity through the process.

Corporations that pay illegal kickbacks and bribes to government officials and former government officials in exchange for contracts including large building projects can be brought to justice and made to pay large penalties under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and whistleblowers that bring these corporations to justice may be able to collect large economic rewards under the  Securities Exchange Act (SEC Whistleblower Bounty Actions) and the Commodity Exchange Act (CFTC Whisteblower Bounty Actions).
The Illegal Bribe Whistleblower or Illegal Kickback Whistleblower may be entitled to not only the amount of the illegal bribe or kickback, but the benefit of the illegal bribe or kickback.  In cases where $100,000.00 bribe is made to obtain a $100 million building project, the Illegal Bribe Whistleblower or Illegal Kickback Whistleblower may be entitled to 10 to 30% of the $100,000,000.00 and the $100,000.00 translating into a $10 million to $30 million award.

Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Violations, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Prohibitions, Securities Exchange Act, Illegal Bribes, Illegal Kickbacks, and the SEC Whistleblower Incentive Program

The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 (FCPA) (15 U.S.C. §§ 78dd-1, et seq.) is a United States federal law known primarily for two of its main provisions, one that addresses accounting transparency requirements under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and another concerning prohibitions of the bribery of foreign officials.  Through the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the anti-kickback and anti-bribery provisions of the Act prohibit any person from making use of interstate commerce corruptly, in furtherance of an offer or payment of anything of value to a foreign official, foreign political party, or candidate for political office, for the purpose of influencing any act of that foreign official in violation of the duty of that official, or to secure any improper advantage in order to obtain or retain business.

The prohibition includes any U.S. or foreign corporation that has a class of securities registered, or that is required to file reports under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934.  This Act includes any individual who is a citizen, national, or resident of the United States and any corporation and other business entity organized under the laws of the United States or having its principal place of business in the United States.  The Act defines any person to include both enterprises and individuals. 

By violating the Securities and Exchange Act and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, large corporations including both some foreign corporations and domestic corporations can be subject to SEC penalties, disgorgement, restitution, and interest.  If a whistleblower provides the specialized knowledge and evidence to detect the violations, that whistleblower can receive from 10% to 30% of any recovery made be the SEC.
The whistleblower or whistleblowers can be any individual including an employee of the fraudulent corporation, competition of the corporation that missed out on the contract because of the illegal bribes or illegal kickbacks, or a group of individuals with specialized knowledge and original evidence of the violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

Foreign Corporation Illegal Bribe Whistleblower Lawsuit, Domestic Corporation Illegal Kickback Lawsuit, Violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Whistleblower Lawsuit,  FCPA SEC  Whistleblower Lawsuit, SEC Whistleblower Incentive Program Lawsuit, & Illegal Corporate Bribe Bounty Lawsuit Information

For more information on International Corporate Fraud Whistleblower Compensation Lawsuits, SEC Foreign Corporation Illegal Bribe Whistleblower Reward Lawsuits, Corporate Illegal Kickback Whistleblower Bounty Actions, Commodity Fraud Bounty Claims, and other Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Whistleblower Reward Lawsuits, please click on the following link, Corporate Illegal Kickback Whistleblower Recovery Lawsuit & Corporate Contract Bribe Whistelblower Award Lawsuit Information.