Infected Transplant Injury Attorney

Stolen Body Part Implants

Stolen Body Part Implants Causing Illness in Patients

People across the country who underwent routine medical procedures may be at serious risk for contracting grave illnesses resulting from bacteria and viruses present in tissue and bone illegally obtained from cadavers.

Stolen body parts—illegally extracted from the dead without familial consent or knowledge—have been implanted into patients needing bone, tissue, tendon, skin, ligament, or organ transplants. These patients have tested positive for pathogens that cause AIDS, hepatitis, and syphilis, serious and life-threatening conditions that can be acquired from infected tissue(1).

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recalled the human tissue products, citing the risk of infectious diseases and the lack of assurance of donor identity (2). The 245-page document list of recalled tissue lot numbers can be found here.

Warning Letters Sent to Patients
Letters warning of the possible risk of infection have been sent out to many of the patients who received transplants that could potentially harm them.Plaintiffs’ allege that the letters downplayed the possible risk of infection (1), but if you received one of these warning letters, you may need to speak with a lawyer regarding your legal rights.

Company Illegally “Harvests” Organs from the Dead
Biomedical Tissue Services (BTS), based in New Jersey, is accused of failing to obtain consent to harvest bones, tendons, ligaments, skin, and other tissue from cadavers (1). The director of the company stands indicted on 122 varying counts. His company allegedly stole more than 1,000 bodies to violate, hack apart, and sell on the open market. The suspects, in order to mask their ghoulish activities, replaced the stolen bones with PVC piping and sewed up the bodies before funerals or viewings occurred (3).

It is believed that at least 8,000 people have received tissue from Biomedical Tissue Services (1). Seven patients were infected with HIV after receiving organs and tissue from an infected patient in 2003 (3). Letters warning of the possible risk of infection have been sent out to many of the patients who received transplants that could potentially harm them.

The laboratories that processed the tissue after acquiring it from Biomedical Tissue Services include:

• Lost Mountain Tissue Bank
• LifeCell Corp.
• Regeneration Technologies
• Tutogen Medical Inc.
• Blood and Tissue Center of Central Texas

Some of these centers distributed the tissue across the country and even overseas; all of the above are listed as defendants in the growing number of stolen tissue lawsuits nationwide (4). Investigators believe that hospitals have been receiving the stolen body parts over the past five years (5).

Free Consultation
The notion of having stolen body parts and contaminated tissue inside you or someone you love is almost too terrifying to imagine. Combine that with the possibility that the tissue could infect you with AIDS, hepatitis, or syphilis and you have a scenario that no human being should ever have to face. If you have received a transplant that originated from Biomedical Tissue Services and received a letter warning of possible health risks, you may need a lawyer to help through this unimaginable ordeal. We have lawyers who will handle your case delicately and discretely. Call our law firm today for a free and confidential case evaluation. We have intake specialists standing by to take your call.

Sources:

• Stolen body parts linked to patients’ illnesses, from the        Associated Press on 04/28/06. Accessed 5/09/06 via www.msnbc.msn.com.
• Recall of Human Tissue Products, from the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. Accessed 05/09/06 via www.fda.gov.
• Illegal trade in bodies shakes loved ones, by Stephanie Armour on 04/28/2006. Accessed 05/09/06 via www.usatoday.com.
• 94 who got stolen body parts told to get tested, by Jeff Nesmith on 04/23/06. Accessed 05/10/06 via the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
• Hospitals used stolen tissue in 17 implants, by Steve Veres on 01/11/06. Accessed 05/10/06 via The Chronicle Online.

This law firm is not associated with, sponsored by, or affiliated with Biomedical Tissue Services, Lost Mountain Tissue Bank, LifeCell Corp., Regeneration Technologies, Tutogen Medical Inc., the Blood and Tissue Center of Central Texas, the Food and Drug Administration, the       Associated Press, MSN or any of its subsidiaries,      USA Today, the       Atlanta Journal-Constitution, or       The Chronicle Online.

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