Drugs That Harm And Being Compensated

3 February 2020
 Categories: , Blog

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When you or a family member rely on a prescription drug, it can be devastating when things go wrong. The drug manufacturers profit handsomely and most consumers expect them to go above and beyond to ensure that the drugs they sell are safe and effective. In almost all cases, the medications you and your family consume do the job and are safe as long as you follow your doctor's instructions. Unfortunately, time and time, the news covers stories on drugs that should never have been sent to the pharmacy and sold to consumers. To find out more about this serious issue, read on.

Things Could Go Wrong

You can be harmed by bad drugs in more than one way. Some drugs were not well-tested in the first place and some suffer from manufacturing defects. Any of those issues that end up causing harm can become the subject of a personal injury lawsuit. 

Not Properly Tested

All drugs are supposed to go through a rigorous testing process before being released to the general public. The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) oversees the testing trials as they progress and only approve those drugs that can demonstrate that the drug is safe and does what it's supposed to do. As a result of these tests, any negative aspects of the drug may come to light. That allows drug manufacturers to warn consumers about things like drug interactions and potential side effects. As a consumer, it's your responsibility to read the literature that comes with medications and be informed of side-effects and other issues. As long as it's listed, the drug manufacturer is absolved of responsibility.

However, testing may fall short of revealing all potential problems with a drug. Drugs are released for consumer use all the time that have unexpected side-effects. Remember Vioxx? This NSAID targeted those with osteoarthritis but ended up causing heart problems. The heart problems were somehow not detected during testing and the FDA approved it for the marketplace.

Manufacturing Defects

Most drugs are produced in mass quantities and most of them are safe for consumers to use. Some, however, may become contaminated and cause harm to consumers. Not too long ago, several patients died due to contaminated drugs from a drug compounding pharmacy with inadequate sanitary conditions.

It can be slightly intimidating to consider filing suit against gigantic pharmaceutical companies and their extensive legal teams. However, if you have been harmed by a drug there is a good chance you are not alone. Speak to an injury attorney about your case and find out about any class action lawsuits that you can join and be compensated. Speak to a lawyer soon so that medical evidence can be gathered and preserved.