PPH Legal Blog

The Fen-phen trial, in which three attorneys who represented Fen-phen users are on trial for looting a $200 million settlement, remains undecided after its second day of jury deliberation.  The trio of lawyers has been accused of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.  If found guilty, each defendant faces up to 20 years in prison and forfeiture.  Additionally, the $65 million taken from clients would have to be paid back.

The jurors took several smoke breaks during deliberations and asked the judge no questions.  They also requested a calculator, a blank flip-chart, tape, and an index of the hundreds of evidence exhibitions.

If you ever took the diet drug Fen-phen and developed medical complications because of it, such as primary pulmonary hypertension, contact the experienced Houston PPH lawyers of Williams Kherkher today at 866.950.9000 to learn more.

In the final stages of the trial, the lawyer-defendants involved in the Fen-phen trial called an adverse witness, class action guru Stanley Chesley, to testify on their behalf.   This move appears as a last ditch effort for the lawyer-defendants who lack experts willing to testify in their favor.

Chesley testified that he had been hired by the three defendants to help settle the case.  During the Fen-phen lawsuit, the defendants lowered Chesley’s pay by about 6% to $20 million.   In response to this affront to his name and reputation, Chesley answered that he did not think the defendants correctly conducted the case.

If you have suffered from primary pulmonary hypertension due to diet drug use, contact the experienced Houston PPH lawyers at Williams Kherkher today at 866.950.9000 to learn more about your legal options.

After taking a diet drug, Fen-phen, for a short period of time, long ago, Carolyn W. forgot all about it.  As a flight attendant, inactivity on long plane rides occurred frequently.  Weight gain was a side effect of the job and Carolyn heard about a simple solution from a coworker.  After taking the drugs for a limited time, she stopped using them.

Years later, Carolyn found herself lacking breath, often.  Her heart would pound after climbing a few stairs.  Her ankles swelled as well.  When a trip to the emergency room and a battery of tests revealed an enlarged heart, she was terrified.  Carolyn ate well and exercised so the heart problems did not make sense.  After a second trip to the emergency room, with excessive bloating and low blood pressure, Carolyn was diagnosed with primary pulmonary hypertension, as a result of her minimal use of diet drugs.

If you have diagnosed with primary pulmonary hypertension, contact the experienced PPH lawyers of Williams Kherkher today at 866.950.9000 to schedule an initial consultation.

In the recent trial of three prominent lawyers accused of taking $65 million from their clients’ lawsuit against makers of the diet drug Fen-phen, the defendant Melbourne Mills Jr. was recently hospitalized, delaying the trial.  In addition to the financial theft from their clients’ $200 million settlement, each of the lawyers is also accused of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.  If convicted, each defendant could face up to twenty years in prison for the charges.  Additionally, Mills’ lawyer claims that one month after the Fen-phen trial settled, Mills collapsed due to an “alcoholic seizure” and was therefore too drunk to be responsible for the enormous money theft that occurred.

The dangerous diet drug Fen-phen has caused severe health effects in those who took it, such as the development of primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH).  The PPH lawyers of Williams Kherkher at 866.950.9000 will protect your rights if you have experienced negative side effects from diet drug use.

Now in its second week, the trial for the Fen-phen lawyers continues.  A junior lawyer involved in the settlement, who has testified for four days, says the main lawyers on the case, Cunningham Jr., Gallion, and Mills Jr., never gave the clients a chance to protest the $200 million settlement or the attorney fees.  The junior lawyer also stated that he never thought the lawyers did anything unethical.

The main lawyers have already been discharged from their practice and charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud for allegedly taking $65 million more than their contractual fees.  Additionally, the lawyers are also charged with a $42 million lawsuit from their former clients and could face up to twenty years in prison each if convicted.

If you ever took the diet drug Fen-phen, health problems such as primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH) can result.  It is advised to speak with an experienced PPH attorney, such as the lawyers at Williams Kherker, to discuss your legal rights.  Contact them today at 866.950.9000 to learn more.