Simvastatin is a drug marketed under the brand name of Zocor by Merck & Co.  Zocor and its generics are used to regulate high cholesterol in those who cannot control their cholesterol level through diet and exercise alone.

Simvastatin, or Zocor, was first marketed in 1979 when Merck scientists isolated a strain of the fungus Aspergillis terreus.  The fermentation of this fungal extract led to the discovery of a high-potency cholesterol inhibitor which would stop internal cholesterol overproduction, a major factor in heart disease.

With the discovery of the active ingredients in Zocor, the drug soon became Merck's largest selling pharmaceutical product.  Merck held the patent on Zocor until June of 2006, when generics were allowed to be produced.  It is estimated that Merck sold a total of $4.3 billion per year in Zocor before the patent expired.

Consumer watch groups & Zocor lawyers began petitioning the Food and Drug Administration to examine Zocor for a possible Zocor recall when it was found that several serious side effects were associated with its use.  Zocor carries a risk that the user will develop myopathy, a condition which causes muscle pain and weakness.  Women are more likely to develop myopathy from the use of Zocor than men, and a few patients develop a very deadly form of the disease known as rhabdomyolysis, which lead to kidney failure. Read the rest of this entry »

Nubia Del Carmen Preza, a nanny who was injured in a Los Angeles car accident, has filed a personal injury lawsuit against actress Lindsay Lohan who was behind the wheel of a Maserati that hit her. According to a TMZ report, this accident occurred in September 2010 when Lohan reportedly ran a red light in West Hollywood. The actress hit Preza who was pushing a stroller across the intersection.

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Aaron Ellison, 19, was killed in a Riverside car accident, which officials say involved a suspected drunk driver. According to a news report in The Press-Enterprise, the fatal DUI collision occurred at the intersection of Borel and Buck roads outside of Murrieta in French Valley, during the early morning hours of January 22, 2012. Officials say 19-year-old Ashly Nicole Rodriguez was under the influence of alcohol when she drove the 2006 Nissan Altima off the road. The vehicle overturned and Ellison was killed. Two other passengers were hospitalized with moderate injuries. Rodriguez was arrested on suspicion of DUI and vehicular manslaughter.

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One person, identified as 46-year-old Francisca Ramos of Oxnard, was injured in a Ventura car accident, which officials say was caused by a hit-and-run driver. According to a news report in The Ventura County Star, the injury hit-and-run crash occurred the morning of January 23, 2012 near Rose Avenue and Walnut Drive in El Rio. The suspect was driving a car southbound on Rose at the time and had changed lanes, before hitting a truck being driven by Ramos.

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January 22, 2012--Lancaster, CA--A 26-year-old man was shot and killed by Los Angeles Sheriff's deputies during an attempted stop for bicycling violations, authorities said on Saturday, January 21.

Christian Cobian was riding his bicycle in the 10^th Street West and West Avenue J-4 area when Sheriff's deputies ordered him to stop for riding without a headlight in a dimly-lit area.  Cobian allegedly ran from the police on foot, and a chase ensued.  Deputies said the suspect reached for his waistband, prompting fears that he had a weapon.  Deputies then shot several times, mortally wounding Cobian, who was not found to have a weapon.

Authorities stated that Cobian was wanted for a felony narcotics warrant, had three felony convictions on his record, and was currently on probation.  Deputies believe he was a gang member in Inglewood who had recently moved to Lancaster.

An investigation is pending by the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office and the Office of Independent Review into the shooting. Read the rest of this entry »

Deborah O'Brien was injured in a Riverside car accident after her Mitsubishi Mirage struck the left rear corner of an 18-wheeler, the morning of January 19, 2012. According to a news report in The Press-Enterprise, the truck accident occurred on Temescal Canyon Road near Interstate 15 in Lake Elsinore. Officials say an 18-wheeler loaded with bricks had just made a turn when the Mitsubishi hit the back of it. O'Brien was traveling approximately 55 miles per hour when she collided with the truck. She sustained serious injuries in the crash. The driver of the big rig, 52-year-old Edliardo Gomez, was not injured. The cause of the collision remains under investigation.

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Syd Elane Pyne, 56, was killed in a San Diego car accident after she was hit by a vehicle while walking across a roadway, the morning of January 19, 2012. According to a report in U-T San Diego, the fatal pedestrian accident occurred on North Melrose Drive between Highland Drive and West Los Angeles Drive in Vista. Officials say Pyne and her 25-year-old daughter were crossing the road diagonally outside a crosswalk and toward a bus stop. A Toyota Camry that was northbound struck Pyne, who died at the scene. Her daughter was uninjured. An investigation is ongoing.

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Landen Swanson, 20, died from injuries he suffered in a San Diego car accident, which involved a hit-and-run driver. According to a news report in The San Diego Union-Tribune, the incident occurred the evening of January 9, 2012 at the intersection of Oleander Avenue and Alamitos Way in San Marcos. Swanson had gotten off a bus and was headed home on his skateboard when he was hit. The driver of the vehicle that struck Swanson fled the scene leaving the victim lying on the roadway, critically injured. Swanson suffered traumatic brain injuries. The hit-and-run driver turned himself in, several hours after the incident. Charges are pending.

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California has it all; sunny beaches, snowy mountains, beautiful weather, and incredible food, but layoffs are putting a damper on the golden state that is rubbing everyone the wrong way. The Bisnar and Chase California wrongful termination attorneys are reaching out to all those who feel that their employers did not operate within state laws when they were let go. Those who feel that they may have a claim against their employer can contact Bisnar and Chase for a free case evaluation by calling 1 (800) 259-6373. Read the rest of this entry »

Teresa Santiesteban, 55, suffered major injuries in a Fresno car accident after the vehicle in which she was a passenger was broadsided by a big rig at a street intersection. According to a news report in The Fresno Bee, the major injury collision occurred the morning of January 13, 2012 at the intersection of Maple and Jensen avenues southeast of Fresno. California Highway Patrol officials say that an SUV, driven by 26-year-old Karla Santiesteban, was southbound on Maple and had the green light when the eastbound tractor-trailer rig slammed into the SUV's passenger side. Officials say the big rig, driven by 60-year-old Wesley Nolan Ellis, ran a red light and struck the SUV. Ellis and Karla Santiesteban suffered relatively minor injuries, but Teresa Santiesteban was severely injured.

My thoughts and prayers are with Teresa Santiesteban, who was apparently the most seriously injured in this crash. I wish her and the other victims the very best for a speedy and complete recovery.

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