Who Is Responsible For A Dangerous Drug Injury?
When you’re sick, seeing a doctor and taking some medication is the first thing that comes to mind. Unfortunately, thousands of injuries or deaths happen due to medications each year. Dangerous drug injuries can cause serious health issues and could even be fatal, depending on the amount you took. If you’re ever in this situation, knowing who’s responsible is the first step to getting the compensation you deserve.
What Is Considered A Dangerous Pharmaceutical Drug?
Any OTC or prescription medication that causes unexpected side effects is considered dangerous. While this situation is uncommon, it can still happen, especially if the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) initially considered a drug safe to use. When a large amount of people get sick after taking this drug, this can often lead to mass tort lawsuits followed by multi-million dollar settlements.
Some medications that were or are recently being investigated for being dangerous drugs include:
- Ozempic
- Xarelto
- Yaz
- Zofran
- Testosterone
- Zoloft
- Various types of opioids
Common Side Effects Of Dangerous Drugs
There are thousands of prescription drugs, so side effects are going to be the same from person to person. However, some common side effects lead to lawsuits more often than others, such as:
- A serious allergic reaction
- Addiction or psychological dependence
- Organ failure
- Blood clots
- Cancer
- Psychological or neurological effects (e.g., depression, suicidal thoughts)
Who’s Responsible For Your Dangerous Drug Injuries?
Knowing who’s at fault can be complicated due to how many organizations and people are involved in the manufacturing, designing, and distribution of drugs. Many major cases involving pharmaceutical drug injuries will require in-depth investigation to get to the bottom of who’s responsible.
The at-fault parties mainly fall under one (or more) of these categories:
The Manufacturer
Out of everyone involved, pharmaceutical companies are the most commonly liable party in cases like these. They’re legally responsible for designing medications that are safe to use. Whether they failed to do adequate testing, lied about the health risks involved, or provided false labeling, many victims file class action lawsuits to hold them accountable.
The Testing Lab
Before being released, prescription drugs go through strict lab testing to ensure their safety. However, testing labs may make mistakes during clinical trials or mark a few side effects off as minor. They may also be held responsible for your injuries if they outsource their quality control and the third-party company didn’t follow safety guidelines.
Pharmacies Or Distributors
Pharmacies can be held responsible for any adverse side effects or injuries if they gave you the wrong medication or an incorrect dosage. Distributors may also be at fault if they mishandled or contaminated the medication in some way during transit or storage.
Your Doctor Or Medical Provider
A doctor is typically your first point of contact when getting medication, especially if they’re prescriptions. They have a legal responsibility to ensure you know a drug’s side effects and efficacy. Doctors should also know about your medical history and recommend something that won’t interact negatively with anything else you’re taking or worsen preexisting conditions.
Failure to follow medical safety guidelines demonstrates negligence. It holds them responsible for any injuries you sustained from taking this medication.
Our Lawyers Are Here To Help
Filing a medical malpractice or product liability lawsuit is complicated, especially when determining who’s at fault for your injuries. Whether it’s a doctor or a pharmaceutical company, our Long Island medical malpractice lawyers will hold them accountable for their actions. Please contact us at (866) 507-1730 to schedule a free consultation with our firm today.