What are human tissue lawsuits?

The Food and Drug Administration started an investigation into Biomedical Tissue Services in late 2005, due to the fact that potential lack of proper screening of the tissue donors had led to some recipients of the tissues being at an increased risk for infections transmitted through tissues. As a result, several lawsuits are going forward against companies charged with distributing, selling, and supplying human tissue harvested by Biomedical Tissue Services from early 2003 to September of 2005. There is evidence showing that Biomedical Tissue Services (a New York company) sold illegal and unscreened body tissue that may have originated from black-market cadavers. Biomedical Tissue Services and its owners are accused of secretly carving up bodies from funeral parlors and city morgues in three states and forging death certificates and organ-donor consent forms to make it appear as if the bones, skin, tendons, heart valves and other tissues were removed legally. Some of the corpses were those of people who had not given consent, while others didn’t meet federal donor eligibility requirements because they were infected with syphilis, AIDS or hepatitis or had cancer or heart disease. Currently, as of April 2006, the federal court system is considering certifying a class-action lawsuit against Biomedical Tissue Services.

If you have received tissue from a donor that originated with Biomedical Tissue services, you should immediately undergo tests for syphilis, HIV, and hepatitis. Furthermore, if you received body tissue from Biomedical, you should contact a local attorney immediately, as you may qualify for claims against the company, or you may be eligible to join the class action lawsuit.