PRESS RELEASE 

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF DISTINGUISHED COUNSEL

Richard Gurfein, of Gurfein Douglas LLP, has been selected to the 2018 list as a member of the Nation’s Top One Percent by the National Association of Distinguished Counsel. NADC is an organization dedicated to promoting the highest standards of legal excellence. Its mission is to objectively recognize the attorneys who elevate the standards of the Bar and provide a benchmark for other lawyers to emulate.

Members are thoroughly vetted by a research team, selected by a blue-ribbon panel of attorneys with podium status from independently neutral organizations, and approved by a judicial review board as exhibiting virtue in the practice of law. Due to the incredible selectivity of the appointment process, only the top one percent of attorneys in the United States are awarded membership in NADC. This elite class of advocates consists of the finest leaders of the legal profession from across the nation.

Founding partner, Richard A. Gurfein, tried a medical malpractice case to verdict in Nassau County, NY. The jury awarded the family of a 60 year old auto mechanic $3.6 million dollars for his wrongful death. 

On July 23, 2010, Nelson Zuluaga drove himself to Winthrop Hospital because he was having chest pain, shortness of breath and palpitations.  These were the same symptoms he had 4 months earlier, in March, that also brought him to Winthrop’s emergency room.  At that time a cardiologist assigned to him diagnosed Atrial Fibrillation and performed a cardioversion (synchronized shock to the heart) and restored his normal heartbeat.

Mr. Zuluaga was admitted to the Winthrop Hospital from the emergency room and placed on a telemetry floor until Monday when the cardiologist planned to do another cardioversion.  However, around Midnight the first night he had an episode of 5 beats of ventricular tachycardia, renewed chest pain at a lower heart rate and a prolonged QT interval on his EKG.

ZOFRAN is a prescription drug sold by GlaxoSmithKline for control of vomiting and nausea.  It is intended to be used by people who have had chemotherapy and radiation that makes them sick.  When a drug has a specific purpose, it is listed in the company's information sheet under "INDICATIONS".  Zofran is "indicated" for nausea in cancer patients.

GlaxoSmithKline has also been promoting Zofran to doctors for pregnant women who are experiencing morning sickness.  Morning sickness is NOT listed in the "indications" part of GlanxoSmithKline's information sheet, so its use for pregnant women is called "OFF LABEL".  GlaxoSmithKline's sales people actively promote this "OFF LABEL" use to doctors.

There are studies which show that pregnant women who take Zofran are twice as likely to have children with birth defects such as cleft palates and heart defects.  If you took Zoran during pregnancy and your child was born with a birth defect, call us, fill in our response form or click on the chat window to speak to an operator now; we may be able to help.