Phoenix personal injury attorney Stephen I. Leshner has been selected to the 2015 Arizona Super Lawyers list, for the eighth consecutive year. Each year, no more than five percent of the lawyers in the state are selected by the research team at Super Lawyers to receive this honor. Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters business, is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The annual selections are made using a patented multiphase process that includes a statewide survey of lawyers, an independent research evaluation of candidates and peer reviews by practice area. The result is a credible, comprehensive and diverse listing of exceptional attorneys. The Super Lawyers lists are published nationwide in Super Lawyers Magazines and in leading city and regional magazines and newspapers across the country. Super Lawyers Magazines also feature editorial profiles of attorneys who embody excellence in the practice of law. For more information about Super Lawyers, visit SuperLawyers.com.
Steve Leshner quoted in Phoenix Business Journal about Arizona asbestos law
Arizona bill would make it harder to file asbestos lawsuits
Feb 11, 2015, 10:41am MST Updated: Feb 11, 2015, 1:43pm MST S 
Enlarge Photo bermau
Workers removing materials containing some asbestos
Mike SunnucksSenior Reporter- Phoenix Business JournalEmail | Twitter | Facebook
A bill at the Arizona Legislature would make it harder to file asbestos lawsuits.
House Bill 2603 requires plaintiffs filing and courts hearing asbestos-related claims to seek out and find various industry trusts set up to deal with such lawsuits.
Critics, such as Phoenix attorney Steve Leshner, say that will just delay lawsuits brought by plaintiffs suffering from the adverse side effects of being exposed to asbestos.
“It just tends to delay things,” Leshner said. He said the bill has been tried but not approved in other states, including Texas.Asbestos is a natural mineral that was long used in various building materials. It causes mesothelioma cancer and is banned in 50 countries, according to the Washington-based Mesothelioma Center.
Leshner said asbestos trusts were set up previously by companies being sued to handle lawsuits. But many of those now don’t have any money or are dormant and plaintiffs often don’t name them in lawsuits. The Arizona bill would change that dynamic.
It would also allow for more delays for discovery in asbestos cases.
“It changes the rules for asbestos cases,” Leshner said.
The main sponsor of the bill, Arizona Rep. Sonny Borrelli, R-Lake Havasu City, did not respond to requests for comment.
Steve Leshner to be speaker at ABOTA “A Day with the Masters” Seminar on April 17, 2015
The Phoenix chapter of The American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) is holding its annual seminar on April 17, 2015 at the Phoenix Convention Center, 100 N. Third Street, Phoenix, AZ from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Billed as “Tactics, Techniques and Expertise from the Best of the Best of Arizona’s Trial Lawyers”, Steve will be speaking on “Notices of Claims, Demand Letters and Mediation Memoranda from the Plaintiffs’ Perspective”. Phoenix, Arizona plaintiffs’ personal injury, medical malpractice, and mass tort products liability attorney Stephen I. Leshner has been an Associate of ABOTA since 1999.
Reflection on 2014
At this time of the season, it is appropriate to look back and be thankful for what we’ve achieved in the previous year. 2014 has been an outstanding year for Stephen I. Leshner, P.C., which is a one attorney, one legal assistant personal injury, medical malpractice and mass tort product liability law firm in Phoenix, Arizona. Despite our small size, we are listed in U.S. News Best Law Firms in America, and have clients all over the country. Among many other positive outcomes this year, we settled a catastrophic medical malpractice case, a serious injury bicycle collision case, and the first phase of the DePuy ASR metal-on-metal hip replacement product liability cases. We had a conversation with one of our clients, after she had received her settlement check, which reinforces why we got into this profession.
She told us that this Thanksgiving was very, very special for her; it was the first time (ever) that she had Thanksgiving Dinner in her very own home. She used her settlement funds to buy a little house just for her and her dog. She said every morning when she gets up, she looks around her little house and is so thankful. Having her own home has been the one thing she has always wished and dreamt for. She went on to explain that as a single woman with little education and raising five children by herself, she never had any money for a real home. She expressed her thanks to me and my assistant for her our efforts; because of us, she has her very first home. Her dream has come true.
Happy Holidays to you and your loved ones, best wishes for a healthy and prosperous 2015, and I hope your dreams come true, too.
Stryker Announces Hip Replacement Settlement
Stryker Announces Hip Replacement Settlement
Stryker Corp. has agreed to pay at least $1.4 billion to settle thousands of lawsuits by U.S. patients who had surgeries to revise problematic Stryker hip replacements.
The settlement in New Jersey’s Bergen County Superior Court is intended to compensate individuals who had to have surgery to replace either of two Stryker products — the Rejuvenate Modular-Neck hip stem and/or ABG II Modular-Neck hip stem.
Following complaints by patients of pain and swelling that were attributed to fretting and corrosion of the metal-on-metal hip implants, Stryker voluntarily conducted a worldwide recall of the products in July of 2012.
The company did not provide an estimate of how many people may have been effected or how many may be compensated. It also did not offer a representation of how much individuals stand to receive.
“The ultimate cost to entirely resolve these matters will depend on many factors that are difficult to predict and may be materially different than the amounts accrued to date,” the company stated in a press release. “Further charges to earnings may need to be recorded in the future as additional information related to patient enrollment in the Settlement Program becomes available.”
The company stated that it expects to make the majority of the payments under the settlement agreement by the end of 2015. The agreement, which is intended to resolve a wave of state and federal lawsuits, was brokered by New Jersey Superior Court Judge Brian R. Martinotti with the help of former United States Magistrate Judge Diane M. Welsh, acting as chief mediator.
It covers individuals who have already had surgery to replace the Stryker products. It also covers those who are already party to a lawsuit as well as those who are not.
Stephen I. Leshner, P.C. has clients subject to the settlement. If you or someone close to you has or needs a revision of their Stryker Rejuventate or ABG II hip replacements, please call Phoenix Arizona mass tort attorney Steve Leshner for a free consultation.
Bicycle Helmet Recall
As a lawyer who frequently represents bicyclists who are seriously injured in bicycle collisions, including the cyclists who sustained catastrophic brain injuries in the 2008 and 2010 El Tour de Tucson, despite wearing approved bicycle helmets, I paid particular interest of the recall notice of bicycle helmets manufactured by Louis Garneau USA. The recall involves the Louis Garneau P-09 aerodynamic bicycle helmets with model number 1405362. The word “Garneau” is located on both sides of the helmet. Recalled helmets have the manufacture date “Jan. 2014” on a sticker inside the helmet. The reason for the recall is that in cold temperatures, the helmet can fail to protect the wearer from impact injuries. Consumers have been notified to immediately stop using the recalled helmets, which cost between $280 to $350, and return them to Louis Garneau USA for a refund or replacement.
If you or someone close to you has been seriously injured in a bicycle collision, please call Phoenix Arizona bicycle injury attorney Steve Leshner for a free consultation.
Steve Leshner Listed in The Best Lawyers in America© 2015.
For the fourth consecutive year, Stephen I. Leshner was recently selected by his peers to be honored in 2015′s The Best Lawyers in America© in the practice area of Plaintiffs’ Personal Injury Litigation. The Best Lawyers in America© is a resource for both lawyers and consumers in search of legal talent nationwide. The Best Lawyers in America© is based on a peer-review survey in which 50,000 leading attorneys cast nearly 5 million votes on the legal abilities of other lawyers in their practice areas. Lawyers are not required or allowed to pay a fee to be listed.
Additionally, Stephen I. Leshner, P.C. is included in U.S. News and World Report’s list of Best Law Firms.
Xarelto Lawsuit Filed
Drug giants Bayer and Johnson & Johnson face the first lawsuits related to safety concerns for the billion-dollar blood thinner Xarelto, according to Reuters.
Plaintiffs filed claims after severe internal bleeding sent them to the hospital. In those cases, patients took Xarelto (rivaroxaban), and their claims blame the excessive bleeding on that use.
Unlike warfarin, a trusted mainstay for preventing blood clots for the past 50 years, Xarelto does not have an antidote to stop uncontrolled bleeding, which can be fatal.
Kentucky resident Virginia Stunteneck filed a lawsuit against Bayer in the U.S. District Court of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Stunteneck was hospitalized after she took Xarelto and suffered severe gastrointestinal bleeding in 2013.
She claims the drug should not be sold and that Bayer and J&J continued to sell it even if they knew the risks. The companies also did not inform the public.
“As the manufacturers and distributors of Xarelto, defendants knew or should have known that Xarelto use was associated with irreversible bleeds,” Stunteneck’s complaint said.
In May, Boehringer Ingelheim paid $650 million to settle thousands of internal bleeding cases involving its blood thinner, Pradaxa. The drug hit the market in 2010, a year before Xarelto. Both drugs share the same bleeding side effects.
Attorneys say they expect more lawsuits after more people become aware of the dangers of the drug.
This first wave of claims comes a few months after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) advisory panel unanimously rejected approval of Xarelto as a treatment for patients with sudden reduced blood flow to the heart, including heart attacks and chest pain, also known as acute coronary syndrome (ACS).
While the drug is approved for a number of uses, adding approval for ACS would grant Xarelto access to the 1.2 million Americans who are sent to the hospital each with the condition.
The panel voted that the drug should not be used to prevent new heart attacks and stroke in patient with ACS because there was not enough clinical data to support the approval. The experts added that some trial data was actually missing.
The drug follows in the footsteps of its predecessor, Pradaxa, another drug that has robust sales. Even though the risk of internal bleeding concerned doctors, it did not appear to stop them from prescribing it.
Xarelto is currently approved for more uses than Pradaxa.
Bayer and J&J continue to pursue FDA approval despite being shut down for ACS treatment. The companies are conducting studies on whether or not the drug can be used in combination with aspirin to stop heart attacks, death and stroke. In addition, the companies plan to start testing Xarelto on patients with chronic artery disease and heart failure.
By 2018, analysts say Xarelto will generate about $3.68 million in annual sales.
If you or someone close to you has suffered severe bleeding and complications after taking Xarelto, please contact Phoenix Arizona mass tort and product liability attorney Steve Leshner for a free consultation.
FDA Requiring Low-T Manufacturers to Warn of Risk of Blood Clots
By Stephen Leshner of Stephen I. Leshner PC on Wednesday, July 9, 2014.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is requiring manufacturers to include a general warning in the drug labeling of all approved testosterone products about the risk of blood clots in the veins. Blood clots in the veins, also known as venous thromboembolism (VTE), include deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE). The risk of venous blood clots is already included in the labeling of testosterone products as a possible consequence of polycythemia, an abnormal increase in the number of red blood cells that sometimes occurs with testosterone treatment. Because there have been postmarket reports of venous blood clots unrelated to polycythemia, FDA is requiring a change to drug labeling of all testosterone products to provide a more general warning regarding venous blood clots and to ensure this risk is described consistently in the labeling of all approved testosterone products.
Because these clots occur in the veins, this new warning is not related to FDA’s ongoing evaluation of the possible risk of stroke, heart attack, and death in patients taking testosterone products.
If you or someone close to you has been injured after taking any testosterone product, please call Phoenix, Arizona mass tort product liability attorney Steve Leshner for a free consultation.
Steve Leshner interviewed by Phoenix Business Journal About General Motors Defective Switch Lawsuits
Traditionally unpopular trial attorneys become protagonists in GM’s massive recalls, possible cover-up
Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg
Congress wants answers from General Motors CEO Mary Barra about why the company waited years to recall defective cars.
Mike SunnucksSenior Reporter- Phoenix Business JournalEmail | Twitter | Facebook
Trial lawyers and plaintiff’s attorneys are not always the most popular crowd, especially with businesses.
But there are plenty of indications that it was attorneys for a Georgia woman killed in a 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt crash who uncovered ignition switch problems that General Motors either ignored or failed to disclose for more than a decade.
Otherwise, the ignition problem and its link to at least 13 deaths might not have been unearthed, according to Steve Leshner, a Phoenix product liability and malpractice attorney who has sued GM in the past.
Brooke Melton‘s attorneys hired an engineering expert who collected ignition switches from various Chevy cars and discovered there had been changes because of problems with stalling. That’s what Melton’s family alleges caused of the fatal crash on Brooke’s 29th birthday.
GM has recalled more than 20 million cars this year, and Arizona car dealerships are backlogged with vehicles waiting for parts.
Leshenr said it appears that Melton’s law firm, aided by court orders for GM to turn over evidence, uncovered the ignition switch problem and a possible cover-up. He has seen similar behaviors by other companies being sued, and they often battle to keep plaintiffs from getting their hands on evidence and paper trials.
Leshner – who served as president of the Arizona Trial Lawyers Association – expects to see more consumer lawsuits against GM for injuries suffered because of recall-related problems. GM could also face consumer fraud lawsuits.
Leshner said auto dealers – including those in Phoenix – could also be sued by consumers. “Any part who is involved in the stream of commerce in the product could be named,” he said.
The U.S. automaker already paid a $35 million fine for not reporting the ignition problems to federal regulators. GM had a $3.8 billion profit and revenue of $155 billion last year.
GM CEO Mary Barra was on Capitol Hill again yesterday and was grilled by lawmakers over the recall, how the company handled the problems and the appearances of a corporate cover-up. Barra disagreed with a contention from U.S. Rep. Phil Gingrey, R-Ga., that if it was not for plaintiffs attorneys’ discovery efforts the ignition problem would not have been unearthed. She and GM attorney Anton Valukas insisted there was not an organized company cover-up of the switch problem. She pledged that she is working to improve GM’s corporate culture and safety protocols.
Barra also said in her testimony the smaller percentage of recalled cars actually fixed was not because of a months-long parts backlog reported by auto dealers, but because consumers had not brought their cars in for repairs. GM dealers in Phoenix – and elsewhere – say it is sometimes taking months to get parts for and repair recalled Chevrolets and other cars.
GM is paying for rental cars – sometimes for months – for customers who do not want to drive recalled vehicles.
GM picked Chandler in 2013 for 1,000-worker, $21 million information technology center. The company received $1.5 million in job training grants from the state for the East Valley Center.
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