Most people do not think about the repercussions of taking a legal drug, whether prescription or over-the-counter. Instead, most people assume that if a drug is on the market, and if their doctor has prescribed it to them, then it is perfectly safe. More than this, the average person not only believes that a drug will not harm them, but that the drug will help them. This belief is part of what makes defective drug lawsuits so shocking; the victim never anticipates the harm that befalls them.
Appallingly, there are a number of drugs that have been on the market, and that continue to remain on the market today, that have a number of adverse and dangerous side effects. Some of these drugs are so inherently dangerous that they should not be on the market at all. When a defective drug leads to an adverse health event in your life or in the life of your loved one, a Charleston injury attorney can help you to understand your rights in relation to seeking compensation and holding the drug manufacturer liable.
What is a Defective Drug?
A defective drug is any prescription or over-the-counter medication that causes an emotional, physical, or psychological injury. Just as with other products, the defect may be in the drug’s design, manufacture, or label. Some of the most commonly known defective drugs include:
- Low-T drugs. Low-T drugs, or low testosterone drugs, comprise a multi-billion dollar industry that targets middle-aged men who are suffering from the debatable condition of “Low T.” While prescriptions for these drugs have surged since the condition was first diagnosed, the drugs are inherently dangerous. In fact, studies suggest that low-T drugs lead to serious heart problems, including irregular heart rate, heart attack, blood clots, stroke, and death.
- SSRIs. SSRI drugs, standing for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, are used to treat depression and other mental illnesses. For years, the dangers of SSRIs have been known, including risk of suicide, dangerous drug interactions, reduced blood clotting, stomach and uterine bleeding, withdrawal symptoms in infants whose mothers use the drugs while pregnant, premature delivery of baby, and birth defects.
- Birth control medications. Certain birth control medications, e.g. Yaz and Yasmin, have been recalled due to the serious risks they pose to women. These two specific mediations have been linked to a number of heart and blood disorders, including risk of blood clots, heart attack, stroke, and gallbladder disease.
- Xarelto and other blood thinners. Blood thinning medications have been around for decades, and in some cases, can be life-saving. However, some blood thinners are not safe. While Xarelto was developed with the intentions of the drug being a safer alternative for the more traditional Warfarin (which has been linked to stroke and birth defects), there is no antidote for Xarelto. As such, a person taking Xarelto may suffer from uncontrollable and unstoppable bleeding.
The above list of dangerous prescription medications is not inclusive. Certain diabetes medications, cholesterol medications, heartburn medications, dementia and Alzheimer’s medications, pain medications, and more have all been reported to have dangerous, and sometimes deadly, side effects.
Who is Liable When a Drug Causes a Patient Harm?
There is nothing worse than taking a medication intended to help you, only to develop cancer, suffer a heart attack, give birth to a baby with birth defect, etc. instead. When this happens, you deserve answers, and you deserve compensation for your losses.
Parties who may be liable for damages that you have suffered include:
- Drug manufacturer. The manufacturer of the defective drug is usually the party that is held liable for any damages caused by said drug. Liability may be based on the drug maker’s failure to design a drug safe for use, conduct the proper tests on the drug to determine safety, or/and disclose information about the drug’s risks.
- Doctor. A doctor who knows of a drug’s risks, especially if those risks are specific to a specific patient (e.g. a patient with kidney problems should not be taking xyz, yet the doctor prescribes the drug to a patient with kidney problems), may be held liable.
- Pharmacy/pharmacist. Finally, the pharmacy or pharmacist may be held liable for the distribution of the dangerous drug if the pharmacist knows of the drug’s dangers, making an error in filling the prescription, etc.
What Damages are Available to Charleston Drug Injury Victims?
If the effects of a dangerous and defective drug harm you, there is no amount of money in the world that is enough to compensate you for your losses or restore you to your once-healthy self. However, filing a lawsuit can help you to pay for any medical bills that you incur that are related to the harm, to compensate you for any lost wages you suffered as a result of the harm, and compensate you for pain, suffering, and emotional anguish you have experienced. In the event that the dangerous drug resulted in the loss of a family member, a lawsuit can help you to recover compensation for the above, as well as damages for funeral and burial expenses, loss of consortium, and more.
Reach Out to an Experienced Charleston Dangerous Drug Attorney
Big pharma has big money; if you are going up against a pharmaceutical company in a dangerous drug lawsuit, you need a competent attorney on your side who can guide you through the process and ensure that your rights are protected. Do not wait to contact a lawyer – you only have so much time to file your lawsuit before the law bars you from doing so.
At Joye Law Firm, our experienced North Charleston drug injury attorneys know what it takes to fight back against big companies. We have experience representing the victims of defective drugs, and will do everything we can to get you the money that you deserve. If you are the victim of a drug injury, fill out our online form or call our offices today to request your free, no obligation case consultation.
