Some lawsuits can feel a bit more personal than others. Almost everyone has a friend or family member who has been lied to or abused. However, these cases are much more troubling when a drug manufacturer is responsible for such abuse. These companies are supposed to be saving lives, yet some continually prioritize profits over the safety of their consumers.
If you or a loved one has fallen ill, gotten injured, or passed away as the result of consuming a prescription drug, you and your family deserve justice. Patients implicitly trust prescription drugs to heal them, and a negligent company putting lives at risk should be punished for their unconscionable behavior.
These types of drug lawsuits and settlements occur more often than you may think, and you’d be surprised at how substantial they can be. There are hundreds of drugs that have been deemed unsafe in a court of law, and you may be entitled to compensation for the suffering of you or a loved one. Here is just a brief overview of notable drug lawsuits and settlements in the past several years:
Actos
Drug maker Takeda Pharmaceuticals Co. created Actos to help control blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetes patients. As of April 2016, more than 10,000 lawsuits have been filed against Takeda. The drug allegedly causes its patients to develop bladder cancer or other serious conditions after long-term usage. In April 2015, Takeda agreed to a $2.37 billion settlement, which is one of the largest pharmaceutical agreements in history. This compensation is now being split among those who have suffered due to Actos.
Effexor
Venlafaxine, a popular antidepressant also known as Effexor, works by affecting the balance of chemicals in the brain. The drug is manufactured by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals. Throughout much of the drug’s existence, Wyeth marketed the drug as being “safe for pregnant women” despite knowing that this was not the case. In Aug. 2012, two families sued Wyeth in a Philadelphia court claiming that their babies suffered from birth defects due to Effexor. The results of this settlement were never disclosed, but a court of law found that Wyeth had chosen not to disclose clinical tests that linked the drug to birth defects.
Transvaginal Mesh
Several transvaginal mesh producers have been involved in a legal battle since about 2011 due to the physical and emotional dangers of the product. In a class action lawsuit, women who used a transvaginal mesh claimed that manufacturers “had a legal duty to ensure the safety and effectiveness of their pelvic mesh products.” Instead, they provided patients with “false and misleading information.” More than $1 billion has already been paid out to women who used a transvaginal mesh, including: Debora Barba ($100 million verdict), Martha Salazar ($73.4 million verdict), and Colleen Perry ($5.7 million verdict).
These are just a few of the most notable dangerous drugs that have been involved in lawsuits, but dozens of companies continue to pay out millions of dollars to consumers each year. If you or a loved one has suffered due to prescription drugs in the Huntsville, Alabama, area, find a trusted attorney that will take a personal interest in your case and fight for you every step of the way. Contact Martinson & Beason, P.C. today to get started.