Dangerous Drug Lawsuit Attorney in Las Vegas

We take over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription drugs in order to feel better, take away pain and improve our health. However, in far too many cases, the medicine that is supposed to heal us harms us instead. If you or a loved one has been injured by a defective or dangerous drug, you should speak to a Las Vegas dangerous drug attorney at De Castroverde Accident & Injury Lawyers immediately.

Although the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) is in place to regulate the drug industry and protect the public against harmful products, dangerous drugs end up on pharmacy shelves every day. In fact, in 2014, there were 836 drug recalls by the FDA. This included over one hundred Class I recalls, in which there is a reasonable probability that a drug can cause a serious health problem or death.

At De Castroverde Accident & Injury Lawyers, a dangerous drug lawsuit lawyer in Las Vegas, specializes in helping the victims of dangerous drugs and their families secure the compensation that they need and deserve. This compensation could include money for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and punitive damages.

What Constitutes a Dangerous Drug in Las Vegas?

At its core, a dangerous or defective drug is any medicine whose risks and side effects outweigh its benefits. The FDA is responsible for safeguarding the public from dangerous prescription and OTC drugs.

While the FDA controls the sale of drugs to the public, some defective drugs still slip through the regulatory cracks. As such, the FDA does not test the drug to verify its safety. Instead, pharmaceutical companies must conduct tests on their medications and provide the FDA with their findings on their benefits and risks. The FDA uses these data to give a new drug its stamp of approval.

Since most pharmaceutical companies are profit-driven, they probably want to release as many drugs as possible to increase their revenue. To accomplish this, drug companies may sometimes hide certain risks about the drug to get the FDA’s approval.

Also, note that 65 percent of the FDA’s revenue comes from drug companies. Thus, the FDA or pharmaceutical companies may be negligent for allowing dangerous drugs on the market and not warning consumers about their risks.

How Our Las Vegas Personal Injury Attorney Can Help Your Dangerous Drug Claim

While it is possible to file a defective drug claim without a lawyer, know that these cases are complex. The liable parties involved are powerful corporations with a team of attorneys protecting their best interests.

A personal injury attorney at our firm can help build a strong foundation for your claim and handle different aspects involved in the legal process. Here are some of the services you will receive with De Castroverde Accident & Injury Lawyers:

• Verifying you have a legally viable case
• Determining who is responsible for your injuries and damages
• Gathering evidence and building your case
• Seeking expert testimonies to demonstrate the injuries and damages
• Submitting the paperwork within deadlines
• Communicating and negotiating with at-fault party’s insurance companies

Examples of Dangerous & Defective Drug Claims

A drug can be dangerous or defective in several different ways:

• The drug has a manufacturing defect. In these cases, the drug may have been tainted with a foreign substance or material, the drug could have been bottled or packaged incorrectly, or the drug could have been processed in the wrong way. These problems usually only affect specified lots of the medication or drug.
• The drug has previously unreported dangers. For example, the drug may have a side effect that was not reported or found in earlier tests. In other cases, the drug may have a dangerous interaction with another drug that was previously unknown to doctors and patients.
• The drug has poor labeling or marketing.In a surprising number of cases, a drug isn’t dangerous except for the fact that the label does not properly warn users of dangerous drug interactions, overdose information, or side effects. Or the drug’s marketing campaign does not properly explain side effects, drug interactions, or proper use.

Ongoing Dangerous Drug Liability Lawsuits

As of June 2022, current ongoing lawsuits are:

• Elmiron: Elmiron is a medication prescribed for treating pain and discomfort associated with interstitial cystitis. Victims claim Janssen Pharmaceuticals failed to warn patients about Elmiron’s potential to cause blindness and vision damage. The court consolidated the individual lawsuits into an MDL in December 2020.
• Invokana: Invokana is a medication prescribed for diabetes. Numerous claimants have filed individual cases against Janssen Pharmaceuticals for not informing patients and physicians about the drug’s potential to cause amputations, ketoacidosis, and kidney failure.
• Truvada: Truvada is an HIV medication linked to various adverse side effects such as bone density loss, kidney failure, bone fractures, depression, renal impairment, and more. Lawsuits against Gilead Sciences, Inc. allege that they withheld information about Truvada’s detrimental side effects from doctors and patients.

What To Do If You Are Taking A Dangerous Or Defective Drug

If you are having an adverse reaction to a drug that you are taking, or if you have been alerted to a drug recall, or if you have been alerted to a dangerous drug claim involving a drug you are taking, a Las Vegas dangerous drug attorney at our firm recommends the following steps:

• Talk to your doctor immediately. It can be just as dangerous or even more dangerous to suddenly stop taking a drug that you have been taking than to stop taking a drug that may be defective. Only your doctor can tell you the best action to take.
• Tell your doctor all of your symptoms. It is vital that your doctor knows exactly how the drug has been affecting you and exactly how you feel, both for the good of your treatment and for your possible product liability lawsuit.
• Follow your doctor’s advice regarding the drug. You may be asked to stop taking the drug immediately or to cycle off of the drug slowly. In some cases, for specific reasons, you may be asked to continue taking the drug.
• Don’t throw away your medication. Your medication may be evidence in your case. Keep it in a safe place, out of reach of children, and where no one will mistakenly take the drug.
• Get a second opinion if necessary. If you question your doctor’s advice, or if you are still suffering adverse effects from the drug you are taking, seek a second opinion from a different doctor.
• Contact a defective drug attorney to find out your rights. A product liability attorney can listen to the details of your case, research the drug in question, and outline possible plans for legal action.

Who Can Hold Liability in Dangerous Drug Lawsuit?

Multiple individuals and entities are involved in the different steps between a drug’s manufacturing to being dispensed to the patient. Depending on the facts of the case, some of the parties that may hold liability in a dangerous and defective drug lawsuit include:

• Drug manufacturers: Pharmaceutical companies tend to hold the most liability in cases where the drug’s chemical formulation is found to cause harm.
• Drug testing laboratories: These laboratories are responsible for conducting tests to ensure drug safety before it is available on the market. Sometimes, the testing laboratories are independent of the pharmaceutical company.
• Physicians: If a physician fails to inform you of a medication’s side effects or risks, then you may be able to file a suit against them or the medical facility they work for.
• Pharmacist and pharmacy: A pharmacist or pharmacy can be held liable if they gave you misleading information on a drug, did not warn you about a possible drug interaction, mixed up your prescription, or failed to instruct you about how to take the medication properly.

Our Las Vegas dangerous drugs attorney can investigate your case and identify the possible liable parties you can sue for compensation.

Dangerous Drugs Can Cause Life-Changing Complications

Consuming defective drugs can open you to many life-altering injuries that may be difficult to cope with. Some of these injuries include:

• Cancer
• Heart attack
• Stroke
• Birth defects
• Blood clots
• Brain damage
• Organ perforation
• Mental disorders
• Uncontrolled bleeding
• Deformities

If you have suffered harm from a dangerous or defective drug, Las Vegas allows you to obtain compensation from those responsible with a product liability lawsuit. The compensation can help you recover expenses for medical bills, job loss, pain and suffering, and more.

Talk to a Las Vegas Dangerous Drug Attorney Today

De Castroverde Accident & Injury Lawyers have the skill, experience, knowledge, and assertiveness to take on your Nevada dangerous drug case. To learn more about our legal services, or to request a free, private consultation, please contact our Las Vegas injury attorneys today.