Pain Pumps were developed and marketed as a way to speed up recovery following surgery. Pain Pumps deliver anesthetic directly into a patient’s joint following orthopedic surgery. Pain Pumps may also deliver a dangerous side effect: degeneration of cartilage, a condition known as chondrolysis. Chondrolysis is irreversible, disabling and painful. The most common adverse effect from [...]
NHTSA Raises Number of Deaths Associated with Toyota Acceleration
May 26, 2010
Toyota Pays $16.4 Million Fine
May 19, 2010
Toyota Announces Plan to Replace Accelerators in Secondary Recall
March 23, 2010
Toyota and NHTSA Investigating Corolla Engine Stalls
March 18, 2010
Toyota/Lexus Recall Update
March 11, 2010
Megan L. Faust
Megan L. Faust was graduated from Washington & Jefferson College with honors in 1994 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Administration. While at Washington & Jefferson, Ms. Faust was a member of the fraternity of Delta Gamma, for which she actively raised money for their philanthropy, Aid to the Blind. Academically, Ms. Faust was a member of the pre-law society and the Phi Alpha Delta fraternity. Upon graduation, she was designated a Walter Baker Hudson Scholar by the Department of Economics. In 1997, Ms. Faust was graduated from the Dickinson School of Law in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. While in law school, Ms. Faust participated in the student bar association. She is admitted to practice before the Courts of Pennsylvania and the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. Ms. Faust is a member of the Allegheny County Bar Association, the Washington County Bar Association, the Pennsylvania Bar Association, the American Bar Association and the American Association for Justice.
Ms. Faust has been actively involved in various civic activities in Washington County, Pennsylvania, where she was born, raised and currently resides. Ms. Faust was formerly a member of the Board of Directors of the Brownson House, Inc. and the Travelers Protective Association. Currently, Ms. Faust is the President of the Board of Directors of the Washington County Literacy Council and organizes their annual Fat Tuesday Mardi Gras fundraiser. She is also very involved in the activities of her daughter, which include school activities, basketball, soccer and theater classes. Ms. Faust and her husband, Jack B. Piatt III, welcomed a son in 2009.
Since admission to the bar, Ms. Faust has been an active litigator. Out of law school, Ms. Faust worked as an insurance defense litigator for McCloskey & Fritsch, P.C. in Washington, Pennsylvania. In 1999, she became an attorney with Specter Specter Evans & Manogue, P.C. practicing in the fields of plaintiffs’ general litigation, personal injury and pharmaceutical litigation. Ms. Faust has extensively and actively participated in litigating many cases, including:
In re: Baycol Products Litigation (MDL 1431) (D.Minn.);
In re: Digitek Products Liability Litigation (MDL 1968)(S.D. WV);
In re Ephedra Products Liability Litigation (No. 04-MD-01598)(S.D.NY);
In re: Medtronic, Inc., Medtronic Puerto Rico, Inc., and Medtronic Puerto Operations Co. (Hennepin County, MN, Fourth District);
In re Vioxx Products Liability Litigation (MDL 1657)(E.D.La.); and
In re: Yasmin and Yaz (Drospirenone) Marketing, Sales Practices and Products Liability Litigation (MDL 2100)(S.D. Ill.)
In addition, Ms. Faust has successfully litigated Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS) and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN) cases. SJS/TEN cases are medically challenging and expert intensive.
SJS and TEN are severe allergic reactions, potentially deadly skin diseases, that are usually caused by a drug reaction. SJS and TEN can start with non-specific symptoms such as cough, aching, headache and fever, followed by a red rash across the face and trunk, which can spread to other parts of the body. The rash can develop into blisters, which may form in the mouth, eyes, and skin. The mucous membranes can become inflamed and the skin peels away in sheets. SJS and TEN are dangerous, life threatening conditions that progress very quickly. Even when not fatal, the victim may be left blind, suffering permanent damage to the lungs and esophagus, and significantly scarred. Many SJS/TEN victims are children.
Early medical intervention is vital as the initiation of treatment can make a difference as to the seriousness and extent of the disease. If the cause of SJS or TEN is a drug or medication, that medication must be immediately stopped. Manufacturers of drugs that cause SJS/TEN have a responsibility to provide safe products that do not endanger the health of their customers. Some studies show that 100,000 people die each year due to complications and infections caused by SJS. Ms. Faust has been instrumental in achieving good results for our clients.