When is it Acceptable to Sue?
Doctors, manufacturers, distributors and sellers of medications are responsible for creating, prescribing and delivering safe products that are equipped with relevant information regarding drug dangers. Nearly all medications on every shelf and behind the counters of every pharmacy have some type of undesirable side effect(s). They can range from being relatively harmless to potentially life-threatening. In 2021, nobody is shocked anymore when they hear about a dangerous drug harming those patients who are taking prescribed medication.
Each year approximately 4.5 million Americans unexpectedly need to visit their physician or an emergency room due to the unforeseen side effects of their prescription drugs. In addition, two million already-hospitalized patients suffer from harmful side effects.
Despite federal regulations, precise standards and thorough testing that goes into earning the approval of the Federal Drug Administration, federal regulators allow a certain amount of adverse side effects. Regulators aren’t robots – they make mistakes, gloss over potentially risky consequences and fail to detect critical product flaws. The good news is that just because a drug has been approved, that doesn’t mean the manufacturers can get off scot free once complications do arise. A company can face lawsuits even after gaining FDA approval.
Injuries incurred due to the dangers of a medication can be severe and tragic, and in certain instances, when a medication does more harm than good, patients who were harmed by prescribed or over-the-counter medications can seek justice. When a person files a lawsuit for adverse side effects to a medication, in order to recover compensation for injuries and damages, it is called a defective product liability claim.
The three types of defective product liability claims…
- A product that has been defectively manufactured
- A product that has been defectively designed
- A product that fails to provide adequate warnings or instructions on its label
A patient who has suffered serious side effects may be able to sue the pharmaceutical company, sales representatives, laboratories, prescribing physicians, pharmacists and/or a hospital or other medical facility. To effectively win this type of case, a plaintiff must prove that he or she incurred some type of injury; that the drug was either defectively manufactured, improperly marketed or has dangerous side effects; and that the injury was proximately caused by the aforementioned manufacturing, marketing or side effects.
The patient is unlikely to have a case if…
- The patient’s physician warned him or her of the serious side effects before prescribing the drug, and the patient still chose to take the drug.
- A pharmacist warned a patient of the damaging side effects when dispensing the medication, and the patient chose to take it anyway.
- Sufficient written warnings were placed on the label, packaging and/or insert.
Possible side effects
It is impossible to give a complete and accurate list of prescription and over-the-counter drug side effects that patients can sue for, because each and every case is different. However, we can provide a catalog of common side effects for which patients file lawsuits.
- Physical Debilitation: When a patient suffers severe and physically debilitating side effects, he or she may be able to file a lawsuit. This generally includes abdominal pain, joint pain, onset of arthritis, ulcers, liver inflammation, stunted growth, sporadic muscle movement and birth defects.
- Liver Damage: Many people underestimate the risk of liver damage and liver failure when taking medications, because warnings are insufficient. When taken as prescribed, medications are unlikely to cause liver damage, however certain cases, usually involving over-the-counter drugs, apply.
- Stroke: Stroke is a frightening, yet common side effect of many prescription medications due to their risk of blood clots and artery damage. Because the risk is relatively frequent, many drug companies that are aware of the increased risk of stroke fail to properly inform doctors and patients of the danger.
- Heart and Cardiovascular Conditions: It is not uncommon for medications to be recalled after data is uncovered that the drugs show an increased risk of heart attack, congestive heart failure, unremitting heart damage blood clots and cardiovascular complications.
- Suicidal Thoughts: Various medications, especially those which are prescribed to prevent suicide and depression, have been found to have the opposite effect. Studies show that many anti-depressants significantly increase the risk of suicide. Other drugs that have been found to cause suicidal thoughts and actions are painkillers and drugs prescribed to treat bipolar disorder.
- Death: When a loved one has passed away, and the patient’s family suspects that the death may have been due to the adverse side effects of a medication, the family should hire a dangerous products or a mass tort lawyer.
List of Dangerous Medications that Cause Serious Side Effects
- Abilify
- Accutane
- Actemra
- Avandia
- Avelox
- Belviq
- Benzocaine
- Celexa
- Cipro
- Crestor
- Cymbalta
- Depakote
- Effexor
- Eliquis
- Elmiron
- Essure
- Fosamax
- Gadolinium
- GranuFlo
- Humira
- Januvia
- Levaquin
- Lexapro
- Lipitor
- Onglyza
- Paxil
- Pradaxa
- Prevacid
- Prilosec
- Propecia
- Provigil
- Prozac
- Nexium
- Nuvigil
- Risperdal
- Tasigna
- Taxotere
- Testosterone
- Topamax
- Truvada
- Tylenol
- Uloric
- Valsartan
- Viagra
- Viberzi
- Victoza
- Vioxx
- Xarelto
- Xeljanz
- Zantac
- Zofran
- Zoloft
If any of these drugs caused you or a family member serious harm, contact us today for a 100% free and zero-obligation case evaluation. If we accept your case, you will not to pay anything unless we are able to recover financial compensation for you.
I am have trouble finding a law firm that will help me concerning mycophenalate giving me cancer. Also, I was prescribed this medicine by a county physician and I am on medicaid. I did not want to take the medicine but the doctor used scare tactics to convince me to take the medicine, the doctor will not say that the medicine could have given me cancer. I need help finding a doctor or scientist that can substantiate my claim.
Dear sir, dear madame!
My name is Manuel Stuettler I´m 38 years old, 1,81 meters tall body
weight 78 kg.I´m a mycologist, head of Mushroom Research Center Austria
and my IQ was measured by a sworn authorised expert on psychiatry at 139
points. In the year 2012 I had a deep vein thrombosis in my right leg
due to long resting in the bed because i had an ankle injury.
I was treated then with Lovenox syringes for a few months . At first
there where no complications. But after a certain amount of time being
treated i developed severe muscle weakness so i was forced to use
crutches for walking. But the effect got even stronger until i was
unable to hold my body weight which led me to use a wheelchair.The
doctors in Innsbruck Austria, European Union didn´t recognize this side
effect as it was and still isn´t mentioned on the instruction leaflet in
Austria or Europe.After the Lovenox treatment the doctors switched to
Sintrom which led to a discoordination of my fingers so I was unable to
use my hands. Then the doctors switched to the “new” medication
Xarelto.I was again able to walk but after a months or so i developed
strong balance disorder . After a few months doctors decided that i
should quit the drug. I asked them if a thin out of the medication is
needed, but they told me that this is not needed and i should
discontinue to take the medication immediately. That´s what I did, but
several days later (10 days) i developed a deep vein thrombosis in my
healthy left leg without being lying or so. I was again treated with
lovenox first and then sintrom. I started to make investigation in the
internet then and found out that in the US it was warned to quit xarelto
without using another anticoagulant parallel .Until today it is not
written on the instruction leaflet.In autumn 2014 I developed a lung
emboly and was again treated with lovenox first which led to strong
muscle weakness, after approx. 3 months the doctors switched again to
xarelto. at first everything was fine but after 6 months i developed
muscle spasm and balance disorder.After Reha of 6 weeks the effect is
still there, all other medical causes have been excluded. These side
effects are again well known in the US but have again been hidden by the
Pharma company in Europe as it is not written on the instruction leaflet
again.
My question now is: when was the first time the side effect “muscle
weakness” of lovenox was recognized in The US, and when was first warned
that premature discontinuation of xarelto can lead to thrombosis or
emboly without using another anticoagulant parallel? When was the first
time the side effects of Xarelto(balance disorder, muscle spasm) being
known in the US?
Do you think that these companies are guilty for not publishing the data
in Europe for such a long time?Do you think that i can claim against the
producers of lovenox in the US for hiding this information in Europe,
the same for Bayers xarelto?
Best regards, Manuel Stuettler, Mycologist
I took Fetzima for depression for a 6 week period and suffered side effects that were bothersome but then my eyesight started to change drastically and I stopped. My eyesight continued to get worse for another week and has not returned to normal since. It is stable without further decline but I am now almost blind close up and have difficulty reading. I would never have taken this drug if I had known the potential for damage to my vision. It did little to help with depression but it really created a whole new set of problems I now have to deal with.
This is the first I’ve heard of Fetzima, this is something we will need to look into.
I too have had vision side effects plus loss of balance and now have high blood pressure. I am 61 and never had problems of this nature before. I injured my shoulder in a fall, which keeps me unable to work. I had an MRI this past Friday. I fell many times and still have the vision problems. Please investigate this drug. It has made my life intolerable.
Okay so I was over prescribed on a Z-Pack years ago. It was supposed to help me with a medical problem called PANDAs disease and it was put in writing by the doctors office that I was in fact overdosed on the medicine and it was the cause of me getting TICs/Tourette’s Syndrome. If I was to get a case set up, what would my settlement be like? The actual amount I could possibly get
I began taking INVOKANA when my doctor recommended it, ( no apparent reason, my A1C was well controlled) I began to complain of pain in my groin. After several months, my doctor prescribed antibiotics for a side effect of urinary tract infection. I took these and refilled them often, only to have the pain come right back. I finally took myself off the medication in June of 2015. By then I was have severe pain in my groin and sex was too painful to even consider. A urologist tested me and determined I was not emptying my bladder, my prostate was/never has been enlarged so this baffled him. A surgery was performed. My pain continued. A CT scan was performed, it was clear. urodynamics testing was performed at Emory Hospital. I has been determined that I have scar tissue. Doctors are treating this as a neuropathy type condition, normally experienced by poorly controlled diabetes, resulting in long term glucose levels in the bladder an urinary tract. INVOKANA send glucose through the bladder by design. This design has cause permanent injury to my body. I went from a healthy jogger, fitness nut and strict diet follower, to a sexually dysfunctional man who must use a catheter to urinate. No lawyers I have spoken to will take the case. They only want the ketoacidosis cases. Can I file this myself
My name is Jan Ashton. I live in Denver CO. I had a Rectocele Repair causing me to have ongoing problems of chronic pain, bleeding when it should have been impossible because I previously had a hysterectomy. The problem continued with added pelvic and abdominal pain. The rectocele repair caused erosion from my vagina and subsequently I had a resection in 2005.Due to my chronic issues I am now divorced. During my marriage, sex was almost nil to none. My husband of ten years no longer wanted to be married to an ill wife. The divorce has left me indigent and physically and emotionally I fear not having the quality of life I deserve. I’m not looking for riches but long time suffering compensation. Thankfully I await your call. 303-356-6108.
I had an upper respiratory infection Dec. 24 2013. Doctor me arithiamycin antibiotic. My liver counts was 45000. they continued to moniter my blood work but would not hospitalize me on January 17 2014 i had an emergency liver transplant. I have had 2 major hernia surgeries since then. I feel like either the antibiotic or neglect from Doctor caused this. For over 2 years I have had my share of pain and suffering. Do I have any recourse from this. They said I had a virus that ate my white blood cells and the blood cells attacked my liver. l Drinking was not the cause of liver failure.thanks for any help
My sister and I are having trouble finding a law firm that will take on a case against Chantix. My sister suffered a stroke causing her physical disabilities and legally blind she also has uncontrolled aggression or rage issues there is no warning that she can have a stroke when she has no prior heart issues can you please help us desperate need
I’ve been taking quetiapine off and on for about 7 years I now have thyroid problem diabetes problem and uncontrollably muscle movement what can I do
I was Dx with sarcoidosis by my pulmonologist and put on prednisone which I took for about 4-6 months I was weaned off because I wasn’t happy with the side effects the hunger moon face weight gain , etc but the worse result was being Dx with having type 2 diabetes, at my heaviest I never had trouble with my sugars and now I have to watch my weight , sugar intake and check my sugars after I eat and I’m very upset.
My wife was prescribed Topamax by a doctor. After taking the medicine for several years and being a drinker she became violent. I fled and filed for divorce. We were never able to reconcile. My girlfriend was in a car accident and complained of migraine headaches and was prescribed Topamax and became very argumentative. I asked her what she taking and she said Topamax. So I looked up the side effects and I was shocked. I quickly moved out. No doctor ever contacted me regarding my safety . This drug has destroyed my life even though I have never taken it. One of the side effects listed clearly says “you may have feelings that you want to hurt other people!” Is there any hope for a lawsuit for me.
I want to know if you can sue a doctor/hospital for going against FDA regulatations on a medical device and its medication. As far as age, amount, time after injury and body mass?
I had been taking Lisinopril 20mg for about 6 to 7 years. The side effects of it are the side of my head hurts, my throat is dry, my tongue is sore and I have muscle cramps.
I woke up with a toothache and a swollen face, went to Baylor Hospital Emergency Room in Carrollton for help. I was given Tylenol 3 and Augmentin Generic brand. I have been hospitalized twice last year and once this year diagnosed with Cirrhosis to my liver
I had been taking Benazapril since February 14, 2017. I was diagnosed with high blood pressure. Over the course of months I started feeling high anxiety. At no point did the doctors or pharmacist ever tell me that this Medication would cause anxiety. Not even on the pamphlets that CVS would give for the warning label. Only way I started finding out about this is because I started to research if people developed anxiety from this pill on the web and it turns out it other people are dealing with the same issues I have. I would just like to have this on the label as a warning. No this case would not be valid in court but it’s just worth a shot.
Can I sue to a very bad reaction to Backlofen for messing with my head, hallucinating and causing me to continually fall and break both legs.
My daughter was given compazine at the ER which gives her dystonic reaction. It was ugly.. That drug should have warning on side effects.
Doctor put me on prednisone for my lung problem and every time I end up getting blood clots and Harding of the legs in areas very painful side effects including cardiac arrest stroke blood clots hardening and swelling in the legs as well as redness painfull swelling once again out many deferent time I have to either go back to the doctor again ASAP or the hospital I’m scared to death that I may have stroke this is very scary do I possibly have case?
I had been prescribed high doses of Seroquel for over a decade I had to abruptly stop due to EPS tardive dyskinesia prediabetes extremely lethal high cholesterol a 70 lb weekend and now the withdrawal has me debilitated nausea vomiting shakes sweats emotional breakdowns rebound insomnia severe migraines that do not respond treatment I am in agony and there was nobody to help me and understand I want to see the company for what they’ve done to me
I was put on Xanax from,a doctor I never met after my son got killed in a car accident. 9 years later I am back to normal finally weaned off my meds. I never took or had a pull prescribe to me until my sons accident and a doctor i never met called me and said he wants to give me some medication before i come doen to the funeral,home to see my son. I asked why he said so you won’t have a heat attack. I said to him so this is for my best interest he said yes . of course trusting doctors my whole life I started taking the medication. After a long 9 years I have had 3 DUI s ..diorderdely a few i am sure. I can not even get life insurance and I my license were revoked for many years. Lost my driving ability. Lost alot . I want to know if i can sue the doctor that put me on this horrible medication? I can’t get a job, i used to make 896,000 a year had my own business . i have nothing and I believe the doctor should be accatable for my actions??? Any one out here that can help me?