I Did Not Know About a Drug’s Serious Side Effects. Can I Sue The Drug Company? 

 Posted on March 17, 2022 in Personal Injury

Drug companies in the United States often have significant incentives to market drugs without making potential users aware of the complete list of possible side effects. Because new drugs can be lucrative and often promise significant results, drug manufacturers may not do the necessary research to discover dangerous side effects or may attempt to hide them. Even drugs approved by the Federal Drug Administration frequently have serious side effects that are not discovered until after they are widely available. Other times, patients are victimized by drugs that are wrongly prescribed or administered. If you have suffered an injury because of a defective drug, consider speaking with an experienced Illinois drug injuries attorney. 

Defective Drugs Can Cause Serious, Long-Lasting Injuries 

When patients take drugs, they expect them to help manage injuries, pain, or other suffering. Unfortunately, however, sometimes defective drugs can worsen symptoms or present new ones. While side effects can vary widely, common serious side effects of defective drugs include: 

• Birth defects

• Liver damage

• Kidney failure

• Heart attack

• Stroke

• Suicidal ideation 

• Death 

These side effects can be debilitating and require long-term treatment and management. In the worst cases, the death of a loved one from a defective drug can rob a family of that person’s love and long-term financial contributions. 

What if a Side Effect Was Included on the Label? 

Using drugs is often a matter of complex trade-offs. Most drugs have side effects, but the potential benefits of using a drug should outweigh the potential drawbacks. Sometimes, however, side effects are listed on the label but a patient may experience them much more frequently or severely than anticipated. In cases like this, patients are unable to make informed decisions about a drug’s risk/benefit tradeoff. 

Who is Responsible For Defective Drugs? 

The party responsible for injuries caused by defective drugs can depend on what went wrong and why. Sometimes, the drug manufacturer is to blame for failing to conduct appropriate research or labeling side effects. Other times, a pharmacy may be responsible for wrongly filling a prescription, providing the wrong dosage, or failing to provide appropriate instructions. A doctor may also be responsible if he or she diagnosed a drug without properly considering a patient’s health history and potential risks from side effects. An experienced drug injuries attorney can help you examine your case and determine which party may be liable for your injuries. 

Meet with a Rockford, IL Drug Liability Attorney

Defective drugs can cause serious injury and death. If you believe you or a loved one suffered from a defective drug, schedule a free consultation with an experienced Winnebago County drug liability lawyer with Mannarino & Brasfield, A Division of Schwartz Jambois. We handle all of our client's cases with the utmost respect and care and give them the skillful representation they deserve. Call us today at 815-215-7561 to learn more. 

Source: 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5815036/