Shelby Roden L.L.C. advocates on behalf of those injured or sickened by defective and hazardous products. Examples of these types of cases include products containing ephedra, rollover accidents, and auto defects.

What is Ephedra?

Ephedra, also called Ma huang, is a naturally occurring substance derived from plants. Ephedra is an herb that has been used in traditional medicine for centuries in China. More recently, manufacturers in the United States have used it as an ingredient in dietary supplements. Ephedra affects the body in ways similar to amphetamines and can dangerously stimulate the central nervous system and heart. It also mimics the effects of epinephrine and norepinephrine, which occur naturally in the human body.

Some adverse effects reported by ephedra users are:

• High blood pressure
• Irregular heartbeat and heart palpitations
• Nerve damage
• Insomnia, nervousness, and dizziness
• Gastrointestinal distress and hepatitis
• Psychosis
• Tremors, headaches, and seizures
• Heart attack
• Stroke
• Death

Where Do You Find Ephedra?

Ephedra is now banned in the United States for use in dietary supplements; however, in recent years ephedra products were extensively promoted for weight loss, to enhance sports performance, and to increase energy. Some of the products that contained ephedra include Metabolife, Metabolite, Advocare, Ripped Fuel, Diet Fuel, Turbo Trim and many more.

Ephedra may be listed on ingredient labels as Ephedra, Ephedra Sinica, Ephedra extract, Ephedra herb powder, Ma Huang or Ma Huang extract, Epitonin, Ephedrine, Chinese Ephedra, Pseudoephedrine or Norpseudoephedrine.

About the FDA’s Ban on Ephedra

The Food and Drug Administration became concerned about the number and seriousness of adverse events reported that were related to ephedra. Because the FDA does not require safety or effectiveness studies prior to marketing these dietary supplements, most of the ephedra products were placed on the market with absolutely no studies of their potential effects on consumers.

In December of 2003, the Food and Drug Administration declared dietary supplements containing ephedrine alkaloids an “unreasonable risk of illness or injury under the conditions of use recommended or suggested . . .” The FDA ephedra ban went into effect on April 12, 2004.

Based on the best available scientific data and the known pharmacology of ephedrine alkaloids and similar compounds, the FDA concluded that dietary supplements containing ephedrine alkaloids pose short-term and long-term risks that far outweigh any minor benefits of the substance. The risks are clearest in long-term use, where prolonged increased blood pressure increases the risk of stroke, heart attack, and death. There is also evidence of risk from shorter-term use in patients with heart failure or underlying coronary artery disease.

Because of its work in McLain v. Metabolife , Shelby Roden was appointed to play a role in continuing ephedra litigation as one of seven members of the Plaintiffs' Coordinating Counsel committee. The committee will oversee the pre-trial phase of hundreds of cases alleging injury against Ephedra manufacturers, including document discovery, depositions and pre-trial motions.

Rollover Accidents - During an auto accident, vehicles either stop quickly or are spun in a different direction as a result of hitting something. This often causes vehicles to roll over. Statistically, rollover accidents are the most likely auto-related accidents to result in injury or death.

While other vehicles are susceptible, sport utility vehicles (SUVs) experience the highest rate of rollovers. This is typically attributable to a high center of gravity, and, in the case of certain SUVs, a relatively narrow wheelbase.

There is an increased risk of injury in SUV rollovers due to the limited roof crush protection offered by many of these vehicles. Roof crush-the collapse of the roof due to lack of adequate structural side support-increases the likelihood of head injury, paralysis, passenger ejection, and death. SUV manufacturers have been slow to address rollover problems in ways that will significantly reduce risks for passengers.

Auto Defects – Auto defects do not stop with the propensity for SUV’s to roll over. A vehicle may have many unsafe components which could have been corrected. Shelby Roden has brought numerous lawsuits to compensate for injuries and deaths caused by auto defects such as:

• Seat belt failures and airbag injuries
• Defective child safety seats
• Brake shift interlock failures
• Tire defects
• Defective door latches
• Fires caused by defective fuel tanks