Personal Injury: Defective Drugs

Defective drugs pose a very dangerous, very real risk to Americans. According to the “Geographic Variation in Prescription Utilization” study conducted by Express Scripts, in 2006, nearly three-quarters of Americans take at least one prescription drug daily. Considering such a vast majority of us rely on prescription drugs every day, we have a right to believe they are safe and effective.

The government has strict oversight when it comes to making sure our prescription drugs are neither dangerous nor defective. Still, thousands of injuries and deaths every year are linked to FDA-approved drugs that have proved defective, dangerous, failed, or created long-term negative side effects, illnesses, or death.

There are often risks associated with taking certain medications, alone or in combination with others, and the FDA requires that pharmaceutical companies warn us of those dangers. Still, the benefits most often outweigh the risks, and many of us must take our prescriptions in order to stay alive.

If you or a family member becomes ill, has a serious reaction, or suffers an injury due to a defective prescription, or even an over-the-counter medicine, it’s important to understand that the pharmaceutical company or manufacturer can be held liable, even if it was approved by the FDA. Medical practitioners and pharmacists can also be responsible if they improperly prescribed, administered, or filled prescriptions for their patients.

Defective or improperly prescribed drugs can have serious or even fatal side effects. Symptoms such as birth defects, heart attacks, heart conditions, hypertension, insomnia, memory loss, numbness, stroke, and so forth, can be traumatic and debilitating. Defective or dangerous prescriptions often lead to other chronic medical conditions; therefore long-term medical care is often needed to treat them.

If you have had a serious reaction to a prescription drug or a loved one has become ill or lost their life because of it, you should contact an attorney who is expert in medical personal injury law immediately. The attorneys at Lemberg & Associates understand that proving that a drug is defective is a complex process, and have the expertise to plot the best course of action to get you the recompense you deserve. From procuring the testimony of experts in the medical field, to negotiating with the large pharmaceutical company’s representation, to taking them to court on your behalf, our attorneys will be your allies every step of the way.