Widow of Orioles Pitcher Bechler Sues Makers of Ephedra for $600M

Yahoo News ^ | July 18, 2003

[tdadams]

The widow of Baltimore Orioles pitcher Steve Bechler has sued the manufacturer and the distributor of a dietary supplement containing ephedra for $600 million.

The 23-year-old Bechler was taking the supplement to lose weight at the start of spring training when he collapsed Feb. 16 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. His body temperature rose to more than 108 degrees and he died the next day. A bottle of Xenadrine RFA-1 was found in Bechler's locker.

Toxicology tests confirmed "significant amounts" of an over-the-counter supplement containing ephedra led to Bechler's heatstroke, along with other factors, the medical examiner said.

The lawsuit, filed Wednesday by Kiley Bechler in U.S. District Court in Fort Lauderdale, also seeks a ban on the sale of ephedra-based products.

"It's a simple case of corporate and personal greed being placed ahead of consumer safety and the public welfare," said her attorney, David Meiselman.

The lawsuit names Manasquan, N.J.-based Cytodyne Technologies and its president, Robert Chinery, and Hicksville, N.Y.-based manufacturer Phoenix Laboratories. Receptionists who answered phones Thursday at both businesses said no one was immediately available to comment.

A receptionist who answered the phone Thursday at Cytodyne said no one was immediately available to comment.

In the past, Cytodyne has criticized Meiselman for blaming the company, saying Bechler had a history of heat-related illnesses.

Ephedra products are marketed in drug stores, convenience stores and gyms as a weight-loss and energy miracle pill made from natural herbs, but the Food and Drug Administration has said the drug is blamed for nearly 120 deaths nationwide.

[tdadams]

Let's just try to ignore the inconvenient fact that Bechler chose to take "significant amounts" of ephedra (which probably means more than was recommended), there were "other factors" contributing to his death, and that he "had a history of heat-related illnesses".

Why let all that get in the way of a nice, fat $600 million lawsuit?

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[tdadams]

"It's a simple case of corporate and personal greed being placed ahead of consumer safety and the public welfare," said her attorney, David Meiselman.

I do hope a spokesman for the company responds to this socialistic nonsense and doesn't let this lawyer's slander go unchecked.

If I were the company spokesman, I'd have to respond that "this is a simple case of a company providing a popular and effective means of weight control, which is safe when used according to directions."

[tkathy]

How many jobs will be lost...

[Izzy Dunne]

It's not my fault.
It's his fault.
It's her fault.
It's their fault.
It's not my fault.
Who said it was my fault?
It's not my fault.
It's his fault.
It's her fault.
It's their fault.
It's not my fault.

[The Duke]

We're looking at the self-destruction of a nation. History books in the distant future should read that the US perished of "unchecked greed".

Perhaps non-religious nations are always doomed(?)

[csvset]

I'd say the guy was a piss poor "athlete". Screw his widow, if he didn't have a decent insurance policy, too f'ing bad.

[lysie]

This really ticks me off.

I was widowed.. with a 1 year old son...at the age of 25 when my husband was killed in a one car accident.

My lawyer wanted me to sue anybody and everybody.....from the car company....the county...to the tire company.

I declined and I have never regretted it.... even if my son and I had to struggle financially for a few years, at least I slept better at night.

[BushCountry]

Perhaps non-religious nations are always doomed(?)

This is laugh out loud funny. Nothing personal, but do you realize how many nations were toppled and the amount of people that were slaughtered in the name of religion. In fact, the current war on terrorism is because a group feels that we are intruding on their religion and way of life.

Last, but not least, I find my church going brethen are just as amoral as the rest of society. Man is a flaw species and is lucky to have the grace of God.

[tdadams]

I'm sorry for your loss. Your principles are very commendable.

[aardvark1]

It's a simple case of another greedy lawyer placing his personal welfare above sanity and public welfare.

[xsmommy]

Actually, not exactly. As Lysie said, her lawyer wanted her to sue and she declined, this lawyer would have no lawsuit if the widow would refuse to permit the suit to be filed in her name.

[lysie]

Thank you.

Since it was a one car accident no one knew how it happened. Sadly, I had to admit it could have been my husband's fault and get on with my life.

BTW...this happened many years ago....1974.

I did get on with my life...happily married in 1981.

[LizardQueen]

I don't think religion factors into it - I know plenty of sue-happy religious people .

What I think is happening is that the US has gone soft. We (not Freepers, but as a society) demand life to be risk-free. And when it's not, and someone gets hurt, we think that it has to be someone's fault and that someone must pay compensation.
We've had it too easy for too long, making us mushy-headed and mushy-bodied as a people. We can't seem to acknowledge that sometimes $hit just happens and it's not really anyones "fault". There are no accidents in our society anymore.

What I see happening is that the only thing that will toughen us up again is a major crisis - either a war, country-wide natural or unnatural disaster, or the country will collapse under the weight of the lawsuits. Eventually the resulting hardship will toughen us up again but it's not going to be pretty and it's not going to happen overnight.

LQ

[angkor]

I accidentally took ephedra once in a sports drink, it made me feel like I was going to die for the next several hours. Had to leave work early.

Another time had to go to the emergency room after a dentist injected novocaine, which these days is also loaded with epinephrine.

Ephedra is the plant from which the ephedrine is isolated, and epinephrine (adrenaline) is a synthetic human hormone.

In my view, they're all pretty dangerous.

[xrp]

So is aspirin. BAN BAN!

[Chancellor Palpatine]

Hormonal imbalance, exacerbated by the med?

[tdadams]

[When] someone gets hurt, we think that it has to be someone's fault and that someone must pay compensation.

And we have a whole cadre of trial lawyers doing everything they can to foster that mentality.

[LizardQueen]

Ephedra/ephedrine is one of those things where it seems that different people have way different tolerances for it, based on individual chemistry.

My mom can't handle any of it without getting a racing heart and insomnia, whereas I've taken it for asthma (it's a great bronchodilator) when I ran out of prescription meds and slept like a baby.

And mixed with the methylxanthine family (caffeine (in coffee), theophylline (in tea), and to a lesser extent theobromine (in chocolate)) it can cause heart arrythmias that can kill you.

I agree it can be dangerous, used with the wrong stuff and in people who are sensitive to it. But I personally hope they don't ban it as it's my emergency backup drug for if I ever lose my inhaler and can't get to a doc in time.

LQ

[robertpaulsen]

"Ephedra products are marketed in drug stores, convenience stores and gyms as a weight-loss and energy miracle pill made from natural herbs"

Hey, PaxMacian, did God make these killer herbs?