Baltimore Drug Injury Lawyer
Should You File a Drug Lawsuit?
When you take medication, you rely upon your physician, pharmacist, and the drug manufacturer to ensure that it is safe. Our Baltimore drug injury lawyer knows this is not always the case. Sometimes medication can be harmful, not helpful.
This frightening fact is one that many senior citizens have experienced. Let’s face it: as a result of aging and its impact on overall health, seniors tend to take more medications than younger people. In fact, according to the Health Policy Institute at Georgetown University, on average, seniors aged 65-79 fill twenty prescriptions per year.
If you or someone you love has been negatively impacted as a result of bad medication or improper prescribing, you may want to consider filing a drug lawsuit.
Our experienced drug injury lawyer can review your experience, determine whether you have a case, and help you to move forward. Contact the National Injured Senior Law Center at (410) 625-4878 today.
Our Drug Injury Lawyer Leverages His Experience to Help You
The National Injured Senior Law Center, under the direction of attorney Steven H. Heisler, has made a commitment to representing seniors, nationwide. They recognize the unique needs of this growing population and are dedicated to providing them the quality service they deserve.
Mr. Heisler’s allegiance to seniors is a direct result of personal experience. His grandfather passed away from a routine surgical procedure that should never have been approved because of his age and medical condition. This incident affected Steve deeply. He subsequently dedicated his career to protecting the rights of the elderly through his personal injury practice. For over 30 years he has provided high-quality, compassionate service to his clients.
The National Injured Senior Law Firm and Local Counsel Manage Your Drug Injury Case from Start to Finish
Perhaps you took your medication in good faith, then it made you sick. You are likely frustrated, angry, and upset, as well you should be. But you may not know what to do about it. Don’t worry — at The National Injured Senior Law Center, we do. We firmly believe that those who have been injured as a result of the negligence of their physician, pharmacist, or drug manufacturer deserve to be compensated for their losses. And we, along with local counsel, handle every aspect of your case for you. You can focus your attention on your health and living your best life.
Our drug injury lawyers are attorneys for seniors and have earned a reputation as being compassionate and sympathetic when communicating with clients. But we are aggressive negotiators and litigators when it comes to defending clients’ rights and fighting for appropriate settlements.
Your goals are our goals, and we will work hard to achieve them. Professionals and organizations must be held accountable for their actions, and you must be appropriately compensated for your losses.
Bad Drug Lawsuits – The Facts
Is Your Medication Hurting, Not Helping?
Most of us believe that drugs are good. They are created and manufactured by scientists, approved by the Food and Drug Administration, prescribed by well-respected physicians, and dispensed by licensed pharmacists. It seems inconceivable that things can go wrong — but they can, and often do. When this happens, fault can almost always be found. Sometimes the issue lies in prescribing the drug. Doctors make mistakes, too. At other times, errors happen at the pharmacy; perhaps you were provided incorrect medication or the wrong dosage. And sometimes the drugs themselves are the issue.
Bad drugs are drugs that have dangerous side effects or inappropriate warnings or are even manufactured incorrectly. As a nation, we place a great deal of faith in the Food and Drug Administration, believing that if they approve a medication it must be safe. Sadly, this is not always the case. Our drug injury attorney understands that, today, many drugs are rushed to market to help treat a multitude of illnesses.
Unfortunately, not all medications are appropriately tested, and long-term, dangerous side effects may emerge that lead to drug injury lawsuits.
Some of them have inadequate labeling, failing to warn the public about possible side effects, and sometimes manufacturing errors occur.
Examples of Bad Medications that Can Result in Drug Injury Lawsuits
There are a host of drugs that, over the years, have proven to be dangerous, causing unpleasant and uncomfortable reactions, long-term health implications, and even death. Some of those which have been regularly prescribed to the senior population include:
- Viagra: This drug, which was the “magic cure” for erectile dysfunction, has been at the forefront of bad drug lawsuits. Reported issues include vision loss and melanoma.
- Lipitor: This medication is used to manage cholesterol levels. Unfortunately, many who have used it reported developing Type 2 Diabetes. Thousands of lawsuits have been filed against Pfizer, its manufacturer.
- Taxotere: Used to treat a range of cancers including, but not limited to, prostate, lung, and breast cancer. Thousands have filed suit, claiming permanent and disfiguring hair loss.
- Onglyza: Developed to treat Type 2 Diabetes; many claim that this drug causes heart failure, which in some cases has resulted in death.
These are only a sample of the many bad drug lawsuits that have been brought against pharmaceutical companies. The list is long and, quite honestly, frightening. If you have had a dangerous reaction to a medication, you may want to consider filing a drug injury lawsuit.
Physician and Pharmacy Errors
While physicians and pharmacists are well-respected professionals, they are not infallible. In fact, according to the American Managed Care Pharmacy Association, “Medication errors are among the most common medical errors, harming at least 1.5 million people every year.” Consider some of the mistakes they can make with regard to medication:
- Prescribing an incorrect dosage due to physician miscalculation
- Confusion between drugs whose names sound alike
- Formulation errors
- Hard-to-read handwritten prescriptions
- Incorrectly filled prescriptions
- Prescribing unnecessary medication.
In the end, professionals like pharmacists and physicians are responsible for ensuring that medication is both prescribed and dispensed appropriately. If their actions are negligent, you may be entitled to compensation. Contact our Baltimore drug injury lawyer at The National Injured Senior Law Center to learn more about your next steps.
Frequently Asked Questions About Bad Drug Lawsuits
Our Drug Injury Lawyer Provides Answers to Your Questions
It would be an understatement to say that many questions arise concerning bad drug lawsuits. These cases can be incredibly complicated, and the fact that medication that was supposed to be helpful instead caused harm is difficult to comprehend. While each case is unique, some questions are asked again and again. Below are answers to some of the most common questions.
The liable party can be your doctor, your pharmacist, or the drug manufacturer. Determining who is actually responsible is based on your situation and why your injury occurred.
Every state has a statute of limitations to file suit. It varies state by state. While there may be some exceptions, the statute of limitations for filing a personal injury case (under which bad drug lawsuits fall) is three years in the state of Maryland.
You should always speak with your physician regarding your medication. Additionally, you can do some research yourself on MedWatch, the FDA reporting program.
The amount of your settlement will hinge on proving negligence. Furthermore, some bad drug cases are considered product liability claims and you can sue under a strict liability doctrine. You may be able to recover economic, non-economic, and punitive damages. These include medical expenses (including reimbursement for hospitalization, physician services, and new medication), lost earnings (should you not be able to work because of your injuries and ongoing care), and pain and suffering (awarded to compensate you from emotional pain you have experienced). Depending upon the facts of your case, you may even be entitled to punitive damages.
Once again, the type of bad drug injury lawsuit you would file depends upon the unique facts of your case. That said, many bad drug cases are filed as consolidated litigation. This means that your drug injury attorney would file your case and the courts would combine or consolidate it with others so they could be handled by one court. Additionally, in some situations, class action suits are filed. Speak with a reputable drug injury lawyer to determine the best way to handle your case.
