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People today are fortunate to have easy access to all different medications to treat what ails them. They can take over-the-the counter products to cure simple problems, such as headaches and sore throats. If their issues are more serious, they can visit a doctor who can prescribe them stronger medicine. Unfortunately, some of these medications end up causing more harm than good.
If you believe that medication made you ill, a Cook County dangerous drugs lawyer might be able to assist your family by filing a personal injury lawsuit.
Sadly, medication cannot cure every sickness. Some people’s illnesses are too advanced to benefit from drugs, while other people have diseases for which there is not yet a curative medicine. Consequently, people cannot file suit against a drugmaker or their prescribing physician just because a certain drug did not cure their ailment.
In addition, people cannot automatically sue a pharmaceutical company or doctor if they experience a side effect from a particular drug. Most medications have some negative side effects, particularly if they are not taken correctly or if they negatively counteract with other medications that a patient takes. The fact that a person experiences some side effects after taking a drug does not mean that that particular drug is too dangerous for the public.
When determining if a medication is too dangerous to receive approval, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) generally looks to see if the drug has more benefits to people than risks. Similarly, a Cook County hazardous medications attorney could investigate the injury to see if the claimant has a viable chance of success with a legal claim.
There are multiple potential defendants that could be named in a lawsuit for a dangerous drug claim.
Pharmaceutical companies need to perform extensive testing on their drugs before releasing and marketing them to the public. The FDA requires that drug manufacturers test their new drugs for a sufficiently long time on a diverse and large sample size of the population. Drug companies are supposed to look out for potentially dangerous side effects and negative counteractions with other drugs.
Unfortunately, some manufacturers are in a rush to get their drugs released to the public. They might not perform all of the necessary testing, and they might even change the results of their findings in order to receive quicker FDA approval. A faster release of a new drug to the public could provide a company with a potential windfall of profits.
If the drug has side effects or counteractions, the company needs to disclose those facts to the public, which they can easily do by including that information on a pill bottle or on an insert to be included with the medication.
A Cook County dangerous drug attorney could review a pharmaceutical company’s testing protocol, design, and manufacturing process to search for errors. They could also check a drug’s packaging to see if its label contained an adequate warning to consumers of the potential risks.
People who suffer an adverse effect from medication can also potentially pursue a claim against the doctor who prescribed their medication. Doctors need to take into account their patient’s size, weight, age, medical condition, and other medicines that they are taking before giving them a new drug.
Pharmacists are also required to give the correct dosage of the proper medication. A skilled attorney could investigate to see if the pharmacist made any mistakes.
Healing from a medication mistake can be painful, and you might face physical, emotional, and financial challenges. Let a Cook County dangerous drugs lawyer work on your legal claim so that you can focus on getting better. Reach out to us for further information.