Defective Prescription Drugs May Cause Serious Injuries
Utopian imagery of the impact of prescription drugs on people’s lives seems to be everywhere these days, including magazine and television ads. We see elderly people jogging through the park on a warm summer day and other scenes of tranquility.
Television ads seem to suggest that these scenes are the result of taking prescription drugs and that there are no adverse effects. The only indication of the darker side of many prescription drugs in these television ads is a quick blurb and fine print at the bottom of the screen and in a font that is barely readable. What these ads do not disclose is that there may be thousands of lawsuits pending based on the dangerous effects of these drugs. At Montlick and Associates, Attorney at Law, we represent those injured by defective drugs throughout Georgia. Our dangerous drug attorneys will use their best efforts to obtain the compensation that you deserve.
The Department of Health and Human Services estimates that more than half of all Americans regularly take at least one prescription medication. One in six Americans take three or more drugs regularly to treat a variety of conditions. It is no wonder that drug manufacturers keep churning out new drugs. The majority of these drugs makes life better and provide important health benefits, but sometimes in order to increase profits drug manufacturers fail to adequately test their drugs, provide sufficient quality control or warn consumers about dangerous side effects.
Most prescription drugs have some side effects, and many can cause severe adverse reactions resulting in serious injuries including liver damage, dangerous blood clot issues, heart attacks, pulmonary injuries and even death. Sometimes serious medical conditions are caused by the failure of drug makers to adequately advise consumers about dangerous drug interactions or excessive dosage from presence of the active ingredient in multiple drugs. For example, acetaminophen (the active ingredient in Tylenol) overdoses are the leading cause of liver failure. Many people mix prescription pain medications that contain acetaminophen with over-the-counter cold medicines like Tylenol never realizing the potential risk of liver failure.
There are many examples of dangerous drugs remaining on the market for years despite medical studies indicating serious health risks. Millions of women took the contraceptive Yaz for years because they were unaware medical studies had revealed a serious risk of heart attacks and stroke. Seroquel has been linked to an increased risk of diabetes. The pain medicine Darvocet, which has been on the market since 1957, was recently recalled because it causes dangerous heart abnormalities. Dilantin, an anti-seizure medicine, has been found to literally burn the skin off of people's bodies in some cases. These are just a few examples of dangerous drugs that remained on the market despite medical evidence of serious health risks.
When people suffer serious side effects and injuries, pain and suffering and lost earnings due to the dangerous side effects of prescription drugs, they may have a claim against the manufacturer of the dangerous drug. If there are a large number of people that all suffer similar adverse effects, a class action lawsuit may also be appropriate.
Many drug companies have come under fire for rushing new drugs to market without sufficient clinical testing to determine that the drug is safe or for using marketing that promotes off-label uses that have not been approved, as well as marketing that minimizes the risk of known side effects. If you or a loved one has been harmed by the dangerous side effects of prescription drugs, contact the Atlanta and Georgia defective drug attorneys at Montlick and Associates to discuss your legal rights to compensation.
Our experienced Atlanta and Georgia defective drug lawyers are available to assist clients throughout all of Georgia and the Southeast, including but not limited to Albany, Athens, Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Gainesville, Macon, Marietta, Rome, Roswell, Savannah, Smyrna, Valdosta, Warner Robins and all smaller cities and rural areas in the state. No matter where you are located our attorneys are just a phone call away, and we will even come to you. Call us 24 hours a day/7 days a week for your Free Consultation at 1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333). You can also visit us online at www.montlick.com and use our Free Case Evaluation Form or 24-hour Live Online Chat.