Prescription medications should treat medical problems, not cause new ones. While strict regulations by the Food and Drug Administration limit the adverse effects of prescription drugs, faulty medication can still become available for public consumption.
Knowing the answers to these frequently asked questions may help patients determine if defective prescription medications have caused their injuries.
What are the common symptoms caused by defective prescription drugs?
Prescription drugs undergo extensive testing, and manufacturers must list known side effects. However, unknown adverse effects might occur, and known effects can take longer to show up. Some symptoms to look for are liver or kidney failure, cancer and heart failure. These illnesses can lead to life-altering injuries or death.
What are the different reasons you can file defective drug lawsuits?
There are several reasons why injured patients may be able to file lawsuits. If any of the following occur, patients might consider filing a claim:
- Failure to warn – the manufacturer knew of side effects that were not reported, or inadequate testing failed to reveal these adverse effects
- Defective manufacturing – contamination or faulty equipment leads to a dangerous product
- Bad design – the intended formula is not safe
Injured parties can file lawsuits against the manufacturer, research labs and doctors.
What do you have to prove in a lawsuit?
While everyone is susceptible to experiencing side effects when taking new medications, specific circumstances must exist to file prescription medication product liability lawsuits. You must experience an illness or injury, the product must be faulty due to one of the reasons listed above, and your illness or injury directly results from the medication.
If you experience adverse effects or injuries due to defective prescription medications, lawsuits can help you recover damages.
