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Edmonton lawyers pursuing ‘Syringe Re-use’ lawsuit
Chris Clegg
for South Peace News
A high profile Edmonton law firm has launched class action proceedings regarding what a former lawyer called the ‘Sharing Needles’ lawsuit.
Merchant Law Group LLP has launched the action against the Alberta Minister of Health, Saskatchewan Minister of Health, Minister for Health Canada and several regional health authorities in Saskatchewan and Alberta. They are calling it the ‘Syringe Re-use National Class Action’.
“The class action includes all persons in Alberta and Saskatchewan who received intravenous treatment in Alberta at the High Prairie Health Complex between Jan. 1, 1990 and Nov. 10, 2008. . .” reads the law firm’s website.
Also included in the action are people who received treatment at various health facilities in Lloydminster, Prince Albert, Weyburn, Yorkton and Swift Current between Jan. 1, 2001 and Nov. 10, 2008.
Nicholas Robinson of Edmonton is handling the case for the firm and says in no way is Merchant’s action connected with a previous effort by St. Albert lawyer Cam McCoy to sue.
“We had our own,” he says, adding they were running their lawsuit over alleged actions in Saskatchewan and Alberta, not just Alberta.
Currently, the case is tied up in the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal.
“There is a question as to whether or not Saskatchewan can handle a lawsuit involving Alberta,” says Robinson.
Robinson adds the total number of people involved in the action is “in the thousands, tens of thousands” but added he did not know exact numbers of people involved at the High Prairie Hospital.
Merchant Law Group has 10 offices across Canada with lawyers practicing in six provinces and one American state. They are well-known for their involvement in cases including complete contact lens solution, silicon breast implants, cell phone fees, lead paint in toys, residential school litigation, etc.
In July, McCoy announced he was dropping a planned action he called the “Sharing Needles’ lawsuit.
“There wasn’t enough people to do the action I wanted to do,” says Cam McCoy. “There wasn’t enough numbers to show the interest.”
McCoy met with people in Grouard March 5, 2009 and May 7, 2009 to discuss a possible lawsuit after news broke in October 2008 that hospital staff were using a single syringe on two or more patients for intravenous medication.
Robinson says his firm has not received an information from McCoy on the matter, contrary to unfounded claims made locally in High Prairie.
Merchant Law Group’s website invites people to join the class action by calling them at 1-866-982-7777 or fill out the form on the firm’s website at merchantlaw.com, then clicking on “class actins”, then “Syringe Re-use National Class Action”.
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