Defective Drugs
When your doctor prescribes a medication, you would think that it is safe. According to the Food & Drug Administration (FDA), as long as the benefits outweigh the risks of taking the drug, it is deemed safe. So, a safe drug is not necessarily harmless.
The Kentucky personal injury lawyers of Gary Logsdon and Associates have years of experience representing those who have suffered an injury caused by a defective drug or product liability claim.
Drug manufacturers have a responsibility to make drugs and medical devices safe for the marketplace; in many cases they are asked to provide warning labels to physicians and (in the case of medications) the pharmacy that dispenses their product. But all too often drug and medical device companies are aware that a drug can cause harmful drug side effects or a medical device can be defective and can cause injury or death–and they may choose profit over safety.
HOW CAN I AFFORD AN ATTORNEY?
At Gary S. Logsdon & Associates, we work on a contingency basis. That means there is absolutely no fee unless you win your case.*
WHAT IS A DEFECTIVE DRUG?
When the potential risks outweigh the potential benefits, a drug is deemed defective and could lead to pharmaceutical litigation. While the FDA does test drugs before their release to the public, side effects from harmful drugs may not be evident until after prolonged use.
The FDA does keep a listing of those drugs that are currently under recall or the subject of a pharmaceutical lawsuit. The FDA does keep an updated list of drugs that have been proven defective.
Some of the current pharmaceutical products that are subjects of litigation include:
- Avandia: linked to increased risks of heart attack and also increased fracture risk
- Chantix: linked to suicide and suicidal thoughts
- Enbrel: side effects include blood problems, serious allergic reactions, fungal infections, and even cancer
- Fen Phen: Weight loss drug which has led to Primary Pulmonary Hypertension (PPH) and heart valve damage in some patients
- Gadolinium: can cause NFS/NFD – a dangerous skin disease
- Heparin: contamination in select batches linked to severe allergic reactions
- Levaquin (including Avelox and Cipro): can cause tendon rupture
- Paxil: linked to birth defects and infant death
- Reglan: side effects include involutary repetitive body movements
- Seroquel: linked to onset of diabetes and neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS)
- Tylenol: linked to liver damage
- Yasmin/Yaz: linked to deep vein thrombosis (DVT); Pulmonary embolism (PE); gallbladder complications and gallbladder disease; stroke; heart attack and death linked to liver damage
- Zicam: can affect sense of smell and taste