Holding Pharmaceutical Companies Responsible for Defective Drugs
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found in its 2007 to 2008 study that nine out of 10 American adults and one out of five children took at least one prescription medication in the last month. This shocking statistic highlights the enormous impact the pharmaceutical industry has on health care in the United States. Sadly, many of these patients face high risks of injury by the very drug that is supposed to return them to health.
Hensley Cloninger & Greer, P.C., focuses solely on personal injury and medical malpractice recovery in Asheville and the surrounding communities. Drawing on our more than 30 years in practice, our lawyers handle the most challenging product liability claims against pharmaceutical manufacturers. To successfully represent injured patients, we remain abreast of medical industry news, including injuries and deaths linked to dangerous drugs. Every step our legal team takes is directed toward maximizing your personal injury settlement or trial verdict.
FDA Approval Does Not Mean A Drug Is Safe
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not conduct its own premarket studies into the safety and efficacy of drugs submitted for approval. Instead, the agency relies on research results provided directly from the manufacturers. After spending millions on research and development, pharmaceutical corporations have an incentive to tweak data or conceal negative findings. In addition, even carefully controlled human studies often involve only a limited number of subjects, which can substantially skew the conclusions. For example, a drug may react differently in women, a fact missed by many male-heavy studies.
Typically, a recall, black box warning or safety alert is issued only after a number of people have been injured or killed by the dangerous medication. Multiple serious injuries may still not be enough to convince a corporation to voluntarily withdraw a product from the market.
Dangerous Drugs On The Market
The list of dangerous drugs on the market is long. You may feel the harmful effects immediately or you may develop symptoms over time. Your doctor may at first attribute your medical problems to your underlying illness or injury for which the drug was prescribed, failing to draw the connection between the harmful medication and your adverse reaction to it.
Pharmaceuticals with a history of adverse reactions include:
- Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) — Nexium and Prevacid
- Statins — Crestor, Lipitor and Zocor
- ADD/ADHD medications — Adderall and Ritalin
- Painkillers — codeine, Darvon, Darvocet, morphine, OxyContin, Percocet and Vicodin
- NSAIDs — Motrin and Celebrex
- Blood thinner — Xarelto
- Birth control — Yasmin and Yaz
- Cancer treatments — Tamoxifen
- Weight loss — Meridia
- Diabetes drugs — Avandamet, Avandaryl and Avandia
- Agents to treat osteoporosis/bone disease — Actonel, Atelvia, Boniva, Fosamax, Reclast and Zometa
Hold The Pharmaceutical Companies Accountable For The Drugs They Make
We assess your claim at your free initial consultation, and we help you on a contingency basis – meaning we don’t charge you attorneys’ fees until we recover damages on your behalf.
To seek compensation from the pharmaceutical corporation that made a harmful drug, call Hensley Cloninger & Greer, P.C., at (828) 383-8414 or contact us online.
