James Marshall who had success in the cult TV show “Twin Peaks” as well as playing a role in the blockbuster movie “A Few Good Men” is currently in the midst of a trial against Accutane creator Roche. Marshall is contending that after starting a regimen of Accutane in 1992 he developed debilitating Crohn’s Disease which eventually lead to the removal of his colon. Due to his illness, Marshall states that the illness severely crippled him & left his career in ruins.
Marshall does have some big name actors to help backup his claim that the illness caused a major impact on his acting career. Actor Brian Dennehy & Director Rob Reiner have already testified on behalf of Marshall. Martin Sheen might also be on tap to testify later. While these witnesses may be of help proving that the illness was debilitating, they may not help much in proving that Accutane was the cause. Roche is claiming that Marshall’s medical record previous to 1992 will show that he had intestinal issues before receiving Accutane. They also feel they gave patients fair warning about the possible risks associated with taking Accutane.
The judge overseeing Marshall’s lawsuit is Judge Carol Higbee who is well known for her role regarding lawsuits against the drug Vioxx that ended with it’s manufacturer, Merck, having to pay up $4.8 billion dollars.
The trial is currently on going & Roche is not expected to start giving their testimony until April 2011.
James Marshall,
I too have had my colon removed due to severe ulcerative colitis. Mine was removed in August 2002 and I have had nothing but trouble since. I am currently applying for social security disability at the age of 44. I have been turned down 4 times already, but I decided to get a lawyer for the 5th attempt. I wish you luck with your case and if you would ever like to talk about it, feel free to email me anytime. People think they understand what we are going through but they just can’t unless they have been here themselves.
Sincerely,
Dori Kennedy
Hi Dori,
I am not James Marshall & he is not affiliated with this blog, that said I wish you luck with your 5th appeal for Social Security. My mother had a lot of trouble getting Social Security until she got a lawyer. While a lawyer may take a chunk of your settlement, they know how the system works and what the pitfalls are, just makes sure it’s a good lawyer and not some of the scammy lawyers that are on TV.
I can definitely understand your feelings about other people not understanding your situation. I’ve been there myself when dealing with Gastroparesis & I still deal with it with my Irritable Bowel Syndrome. It’s very hard for people who are healthy to get their head wrapped around someone with a chronic illness or permanent internal disability. Life is hard as it is when healthy, when you’re chronically ill it feels almost impossible at times.
~Gabriel