Parker Waichman LLP

Darvon, Darvocet Lawsuit Blames Painkillers for Sudden Death

The family of a man who died after taking propoxyphene-containing drugs has filed a Darvon lawsuit against Xanodyne Pharmaceuticals, maker of the recalled drugs. The lawsuit claims Cornelius Kellehar’s sudden heart problems were the result of Darvon and Darvocet side effects. Darvon and Darvocet are opiod painkillers made with the active ingredient propoxyphene. The U.S. […]

The family of a man who died after taking propoxyphene-containing drugs has filed a Darvon lawsuit against Xanodyne Pharmaceuticals, maker of the recalled drugs. The lawsuit claims Cornelius Kellehar’s sudden heart problems were the result of Darvon and Darvocet side effects.

Darvon and Darvocet are opiod painkillers made with the active ingredient propoxyphene. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) finally asked the makers of propoxyphene products to pull them from the market in November, after a study conducted by Xanodyne Pharmaceuticals, the maker of Darvon and Darvocet, found it could cause an irregular heartbeat. This condition, called QT prolongation, lengthens the time between the Q wave and T waves, which are two of five electrical impulses that measure the regularity of a heartbeat. There are no symptoms of this condition, but it can lead to a potentially lethal rapid heartbeat called ventricular tachycardia.

According to his family’s lawsuit, Kellehar began taking the painkillers in July 2010 for pain management. He died in early November from sudden heart problems, just before the FDA issued the Darvon and Darvocet recall. The lawsuit claims Xanodyne failed to warn users about the increased risk of potentially fatal Darvon and Darvocet heart problems.

Darvon first came on the market in 1957. Darvocet is a combination drug made with propoxyphene and acetaminophen. According to Public Citizen, which has petitioned the FDA twice since 1978 to ban propoxyphene, the painkiller is not very effective, is toxic at doses not much higher than the recommend dose because a heart-toxic metabolite accumulates in the body, and is somewhat addictive. It has been linked to many thousands of U.S. deaths since 1981, a large proportion of which were likely caused by cardiac toxicity, including the interruption of electrical conduction in the heart, the group said.

Propoxyphene bans were announced in the United Kingdom almost six years ago, and in Europe, almost 1½ years ago. In January 2009, an FDA advisory panel even recommended that propoxyphene be banned in the U.S., but the FDA waited to act.

Defective drug lawyers around the country expect Darvon and Darvon lawsuits could number in the thousands.

“The numbers are astronomical. It has the potential to be as big as fen-phen,” Jerrold Parker, a partner with the national law firm of Parker Waichman LLP, recently told the Daily Record. According to that report, Parker Waichman LLP has received as many as 1,000 phone inquiries per day since Darvon and Darvocet were recalled in November.

As we’ve reported previously, Parker Waichman LLP filed one of the first Darvocet lawsuits on behalf of Karen Esposito, a 31-year-old Queens, New York woman who claims to have suffered a near-fatal heart attack shortly after using the drug. In December, the firm petitioned the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation on Ms. Esposito’s behalf, seeking the consolidation of all federal lawsuits involving Darvon and Darvocet in a multidistrict litigation in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York before the Honorable Jack B. Weinstein.

What Our Clients Say About Us
We have worked with thousands of clients and we appreciate them and their positive reviews. Here are just a few recent client reviews...
5 Star Reviews 150
Jody Ryerson
5 years ago
5 Star Reviews 150
David Aminov of Parker Waichman is THE MAN - just when I thought my lawsuit was "dead in the water" David brought it back to life. He has been a God send, he's professional; communicates frequently with clients and knows what it takes to get things done. I WILL BE recommending him to family and friends
John O’Sullivan
2 months ago
5 Star Reviews 150
Positive: Professionalism , Responsiveness Gina Viti was our paralegal during the claim process and was very responsive, professional and supportive. We appreciate all she did to bring the claim to a satisfactory conclusion.
ann gallas
2 years ago

Why Choose Us to Help You?

We Take Care of Everything
Your situation is stressful enough: Let us take on the deadlines, paperwork, investigation, and litigation. We'll handle every detail so you don't have to worry.
No Recovery = No Legal Fees
We work on a contingency-fee basis, meaning that we only get paid from a portion of your settlement or jury award. If you don't get compensation, you owe us nothing.
Decades of Experience
Your situation is stressful enough: Let us take on the deadlines, paperwork, investigation, and litigation. We'll handle every detail so you don't have to worry.
Respected by Our Peers
Judges, insurance adjusters, and fellow attorneys all speak highly of our skills, and we've earned numerous accolades, including a flawless rating from AVVO.
We Have Many Locations To Serve You
We have the experience and the skilled litigators to win your case. Contact us and speak with a real attorney who can help you.
Long Island – Nassau
Parker Waichman LLP
6 Harbor Park Drive
Port Washington, NY 11050
Long Island – Suffolk
Parker Waichman LLP
201 Old Country Road – Suite 145
Melville, NY 11747
New York
Parker Waichman LLP
59 Maiden Lane, 6th Floor
New York, NY 10038
Queens
Parker Waichman LLP
118-35 Queens Boulevard, Suite 400
Forest Hills, NY 11375
Brooklyn
Parker Waichman LLP
300 Cadman Plaza West
One Pierrepont Plaza, 12th Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11201
New Jersey
Parker Waichman LLP
80 Main Street, Suite 265
West Orange, NJ 07052
Florida
Parker Waichman LLP
27299 Riverview Center Boulevard
Suite 108
Bonita Springs, FL 34134
Nationwide Service
Parker Waichman LLP
59 Maiden Lane, 6th Floor
New York, NY 10038