Injured by a Prescription Drug – Know Your Rights

In the past decade, the amount of money spent on prescription drugs in the United States has increased from $40 billion to a whopping $234 billion, according to CNN. More than 70 percent of all Americans are said to be dependent on at least one prescription drug on a daily basis, according to CBS News. The result is that thousands of people suffer serious adverse side effects, or even lose their life, as a result of dangerous prescription drugs.

Some of the high-profile prescription drug injury cases that have stirred up controversies in recent years include:

• Yasmin (2012): Bayer had to pay $110 million to settle more than 500 claims. Consumers complained of painful blood clots after taking the prescription drug for birth control.

• Prempro (2011): Pfizer had to pay $330 million to settle more than 2,200 claims. The company was accused of not disclosing the side effect of increased cancer risks associated with the menopausal drug.

• Avandia (2010): GlaxoSmithKline had to pay $460 million to settle 10,000 claims. The company was accused of hiding severe heart attack risks associated with the diabetes drug.

• Vioxx (2008): Merck had to pay $4.85 billion to settle 50,000 claims. Consumers who unsuspectingly took the painkiller suffered from heart attacks and strokes.

If you or someone in your family suffered serious side effects from taking a prescription drug like Fentanyl, Xarelto, and/or Avandia, you may be entitled to compensations for your injuries. You could potentially pursue a claim seeking restitution for:

Medical costs

If you have to spend days or weeks in a hospital as a result of serious injuries, you may be able to pursue those medical expenses against the drug manufacturer. This would include possibly hospitalization costs, surgeries, post-surgery check-ups and any other therapy that may be applicable as per the case.

Lost wages

If you missed days, weeks, or months due to your injuries, then you can pursue a claim to get reimbursed for that time missed from work. Keep in mind, if you use vacation time or leave time, you can still pursue a lost wage claim.

Adversely affecting your quality of life

If you can prove that taking the drug resulted in you suffering injuries that have consequently diminished your quality of life (e.g., having to wear a colostomy bag, the loss of a body part, brain damage, etc.) you can pursue damages for these types of catastrophic losses.

Pain and suffering

Your legal right also extends to the claiming of compensation for pain and suffering, both physical and mental, brought upon as a result of taking a prescription drug that had unforeseen side effects.

Speak to an Experienced Prescription Drug Injury Lawyer Today

Gillette Law, P.A. is centrally located to serve clients in Florida and Georgia. We understand how daunting it may be to attempt to face the legal system alone; as such, we are prepared to walk you through each step of your case. Reach out to us today for help.