Defective Drugs Lead to Lawsuits

Every year, countless people are injured and wrongfully killed because of prescription drugs they thought were safe.

In some cases, people end up filing lawsuits over these dangerous drugs, seeking compensation for the injuries that they have suffered or, in some cases, filing wrongful death lawsuits over the loss of a loved one. Here are some basics regarding how these lawsuits usually come to pass.

No warning labels.

In cases where people sue over defective drugs, they're generally suing because there were side effects of which they were not made aware before they started using the drug. If a patient is given the opportunity to make an informed decision about whether or not they want to risk suffering certain side effects, there is usually no cause for filing a lawsuit. If the patient, however, is not given the opportunity to learn about the side effects that may result from using the drug, they may end up suing.
Keep in mind that there are cases where pharmaceutical companies have not released information about known side effects or, even worse, where they have coldly calculated that the costs of lawsuits over some of the side effects would be insignificant compared to the profits that the drug generates. Simply because you have never been informed of a side effect doesn't mean that the drug company that manufactured the pharmaceutical you took did not know about it.

Extensive damages.

Damages in lawsuits over defective products, including ones filed over defective pharmaceuticals, are calculated based on the damage the person who used the drug actually suffered. If you were given a dangerous drug and did not suffer any consequences as a result of using it, there's probably no way that you can sue. Your attorney will help you to determine how much money you should seek for the various types of damage that the drug has caused you. Pain and suffering, mental anguish and a diminished quality of life can also be included in the total sum that you seek.
The only way to really know whether or not you have a viable lawsuit is to talk to a defective products attorney. Product liability law firms will generally allow you to meet with an attorney for free so that they can determine whether or not you have a good case and whether or not they are the right people to help you. If they determine that both are true, they may want to take you on as a client.