Many class action lawsuits involve pharmaceutical drugs or medical devices that cause damaging side effects. There are many examples of medical class actions, such as intrauterine devices, breast implants, penile implants, Norplant contraceptives, Phenylpropanolamine ("PPA"), and Fen-Phen diet pills. If you have been injured or someone you know was injured or killed by a defective medical device or by taking a prescription drug, it is likely that there are others who were injured in the same way. If you believe you have been injured by a medical device or drug, you should not hesitate to contact one of our attorneys who is experienced in class action lawsuits.

You may have heard news stories of popular prescription or over-the-counter drugs that were intended to help people but ended up causing injurious side effects. Fen-Phen is a combination of several drugs that physicians prescribe for weight loss. Unfortunately, many patients who took this combination of drugs suffered valvular irregularity or primary pulmonary hypertension. Some have died. PPA is an ingredient commonly found in cough suppressants, decongestants, allergy medicines, and weight control supplements. People have reported side effects ranging from liver failure to severe muscle damage and death. Similarly, many women who had silicone breast implants suffered severe and long-lasting illness when the defective implants leaked.

Manufacturers of prescription and over-the-counter drugs and medical devices, and the health care professionals who prescribe them, have a duty to disclose any potentially dangerous side effects of using the drug or device. In a medical class action lawsuit, the plaintiff class's attorneys seek to prove that the defendant or defendants breached a duty to warn the consumer patient of the effects of using the product. They would, in such a case, further try to show that the breach of the duty to warn caused the plaintiff to take the drug or use the product, when the person would have refused to do so if all information had been disclosed, and that using the product or taking the drug caused severe injuries or death.

The United States Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") evaluates drugs and medical devices before they go on the market and continues monitoring them to make sure they are effective for their purpose and aren't causing harmful side effects.

Conclusion

If a drug or medical device caused you injury or caused the injury or death of a family member, it is very likely that others experienced the same injurious side effect as well. That's why class actions such as medical class actions are so valuable. Class action attorneys work to bring together those people with similar injuries from the same drug or device.

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