If you used Taxotere to treat your cancer and developed canalicular stenosis, Hotze Runkle PLLC might be able to represent you in your case. Canalicular stenosis is a medical condition of the eye that causes a range of uncomfortable and painful symptoms, most notably excessively teary eyes.
Unfortunately, canalicular stenosis is a dangerous side effect of taking the chemotherapy drug Taxotere. Sanofi-Aventis hid the dangers of Taxotere from the public and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. As a result, cancer patients and survivors began developing ocular conditions that impacted their daily life, making it difficult to read, drive, and even socialize.
We know you’ve suffered physically, emotionally, and financially since your canalicular stenosis diagnosis. Canalicular stenosis is something you shouldn’t have to struggle with, especially after dealing with the challenges that cancer causes.
Hotze Runkle PLLC can help you hold the drug company accountable for their actions. You won’t have to go through this traumatic experience alone – we’ll be by your side to fight for justice through every step of the case. You can depend on us to help you recover the financial compensation you deserve for the suffering you endured.
Take our quiz to learn more about Taxotere and your legal options.
What Is Canalicular Stenosis?
Canalicular stenosis is a permanent medical condition that occurs when inflammation leads to partial or complete closure of the canaliculus. The canaliculus is responsible for directing tears from the tear ducts into the nasal cavity. When it’s functioning correctly, tears can easily travel through the passageway without any issues. However, when this vital eye structure becomes inflamed, it can lead to obstructions.
Over time, chronic inflammation and obstructions block tears from draining as usual. When they can’t travel to the nasal cavity, they build up on the surface of the eye. Eventually, they get released in large amounts when the person blinks. This excessive eye-watering is known as epiphora. Without adequate diagnosis and timely medical treatment, the inflammation could progress and become permanent canalicular stenosis.
Watery eyes might not seem like a big deal, but it can be life-changing for those who experience it. In severe cases, it impacts a person’s ability to perform their job, drive, or care for their family. If it occurs with other symptoms, it could reduce someone’s quality of life.
When medical researchers studied the effects of Taxotere on cancer patients, they found an unusual link between the drug’s secretions and a patient’s tears. They realized that the secretions interact with various bodily fluids as it travels throughout someone’s system. The direct contact it has with tears causes the canaliculus to become inflamed. Chronic inflammation eventually leads to an infection, which in turn can develop into canalicular stenosis.
Common symptoms associated with this condition include:
- Excessive eye-watering
- Blurry vision
- Cloudy eye lens
- Eye infections
- Dry eyes
- Eyelid swelling
- Light sensitivity
- Central vision loss
Treating Canalicular Stenosis With Surgery
When canalicular stenosis worsens, one or both canaliculi could become obstructed and result in the structure closing. Once it begins to close, there’s nothing that can reverse the effects. You may be able to manage your symptoms with surgery, but the surgery is expensive and invasive. During dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR), the surgeon will either place a stent or use adjacent structures to create a new passageway for tears. This allows tears to bypass the damaged canaliculus and travel into the nasal cavity.
Due to the sensitive nature of the structures around the eye, it could cause a range of side effects, including:
- Chronic eye infections
- Blindness
- Abnormally fused tissue
- Uncontrollable hemorrhaging
- Sinusitis
- Significant facial scarring
- Tissue damage
- Displaced or migrating stent
Unfortunately, some canalicular stenosis cases are so severe that the doctor can’t use existing eye structures to facilitate the flow of tears. When that happens, your only other option might be CDCR, conjunctivodacryocystorhinostomy. During this procedure, the doctor uses a Jones tube, a small glass tube, to redirect tears around the damaged canaliculus. It could help alleviate symptoms; however, it’s just as dangerous as DCR and could lead to the same harmful side effects.
The Effects of DCR and CDCR on Chemotherapy
You could continue chemotherapy at a Baltimore facility even if you’re treating your canalicular stenosis symptoms. Your ophthalmologist and oncologist will closely monitor your progress and take the necessary steps to stop your condition from getting worse. It might be possible for you to receive a temporary stent that directs your tears around the obstructed canaliculus to prevent further damage.
Even though you have a new medical condition to deal with, you shouldn’t ignore your need for chemotherapy. You have cancer and need to stay on schedule. The most crucial part of this whole experience is to keep track of your symptoms and maintain open and honest communication with your doctors. If they know all the facts, they can create an effective plan to help you recover.
Why You Need to Seek Legal Representation
At Hotze Runkle PLLC, we understand state laws and the necessary steps to pursue compensation from negligent parties. Filing a lawsuit is a complicated process. If you don’t know your rights, the opposing parties could take advantage of that and try to intimidate you into dropping your case against them.
Our Baltimore Taxotere canalicular stenosis lawsuit attorneys will take care of each step on your behalf. You won’t have to worry about going through this ordeal alone. We’ll be by your side to provide advice, guidance, and support. We always fight assertively for our clients and aim to hold responsible parties accountable for their actions. We’ll work skillfully to see that the drug company pays you what you need to cover your expenses and make up for your suffering.
Proving Negligence in a Taxotere Lawsuit
Sanofi-Aventis developed Taxotere to treat different forms of cancers, such as breast cancer, neck cancer, stomach cancer, lung cancer, and more. You can take it orally or intravenously on a specific regimen. Depending on the type of cancer and its severity, you can receive treatment once a week, every other week, or every three weeks. The drug is supposed to attack cancer cells and prevent them from spreading to other areas of the body.
Despite its success, cancer patients and survivors started noticing unusual side effects. Many lawsuits against Sanofi-Aventis stated that the pharmaceutical company was aware of its drug’s dangers but failed to notify consumers and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. It wasn’t until 2014 that they finally released warning labels about the potential for developing epiphora and other associated symptoms.
Failure to warn is a form of negligence. The legal theory of negligence refers to one party’s failure to provide a duty of care to another that prevents injury. Five elements must exist to prove Sanofi’s negligence:
- Duty: The drug company owed you a duty of care to prevent you from harm;
- Breach of duty: They breached their duty by failing to warn about their drug’s possible side effects;
- Cause in fact: If it wasn’t for their actions, you wouldn’t have gotten hurt;
- Proximate cause: Their breach was the direct cause of your injury; and
- Damages: You incurred damages.
Damages are the total losses associated with an accident or injury. Economic damages refer to monetary expenses, while non-economic damages refer to the physical and emotional pain experienced. Common damages available in a product liability lawsuit include:
- Medical bills
- Out of pocket costs
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional trauma or mental anguish
- Lost wages
- Lost future earnings
- Loss of society
It’s always clear how much someone’s economic damages are because there are receipts, invoices, and billing statements to refer to when calculating the total. However, non-economic damages are tough to monetize. To determine a fair number, the insurance adjustor and jury members will often review the following factors of the injured party’s case:
- If future medical care is necessary
- Type and severity of the injury
- The total value of economic damages
- Effect of the injury on quality of life
- Duration of the recovery period
- If impairment or disfigurement resulted from the injury
- Time spent away from work while treating
- Evidence available proving negligence
Typically, juries will award victims higher compensation if their injury is more severe. Your Taxotere chemo treatment led to dangerous side effects, and you’re now struggling with a new medical condition. Your Baltimore Taxotere canalicular stenosis lawsuit attorney from Hotze Runkle PLLC will work to ensure you receive a monetary award that covers all your damages.
Let Hotze Runkle PLLC Help You Fight for Justice
We understand the pain you’re going through with canalicular stenosis. You can depend on our legal team to guide you through this traumatic ordeal and get you on the road to recovery. We provide open and honest communication at all times. We’ll be here to answer your questions and provide the advice you need to move forward with your case. Leave the complicated work up to us. We’ll handle every aspect of your case so you can focus on getting better.
If you’re struggling with canalicular stenosis symptoms after undergoing chemo with Taxotere, take our quiz to find out if you’re eligible to pursue a lawsuit against Sanofi-Aventis.