For the most part, prescription and over-the-counter medications work as intended with relatively minor side effects, if any at all. In some cases, though, medications are released for public consumption with serious undiscovered side effects—or even worse, side effects the manufacturer is aware of but chooses not to disclose to consumers.
Either way, anyone injured as a result of a dangerous or defective medicinal product may be able to file suit against a negligent manufacturer or seller with help from a qualified personal injury attorney. Once retained, a seasoned Alpharetta dangerous drugs lawyer could help you determine whether you have grounds to pursue a lawsuit, as well as whether you could work together with other plaintiffs who have similar grounds for litigation.
Common Grounds for Defective Drug Lawsuits
There are three ways in which a drug sold in retail stores can be “defective” and which an injured party can use as evidence of civil liability. First, a drug could be designed in a way that makes every incarnation of it dangerous. For instance, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommended a recall of certain metformin products—often used to treat Type II diabetes—in 2020 because they contain unsafe amounts of the probable carcinogen N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA).
Second, a particular batch of a medication could be dangerous or defective due to a manufacturing error, meaning that only patients who used that particular batch suffered harm. Finally, a drug’s manufacturer may have either failed to discover or failed to properly disclose their product’s side effects, causing what is known as a marketing defect or a failure to warn.
Depending on the circumstances, a drug defect may impact only a single person or handful of people, or it may have implications across the State of Georgia and throughout the United States. Either way, a knowledgeable Alpharetta defective drug attorney could help an injured individual understand their legal options and take appropriate actions to pursue civil restitution.
Recovering Compensation from Pharmaceutical Giants
Unfortunately, even if liability for a drug defect is clear, it is often extremely difficult for individual plaintiffs to successfully file suit against a massive drug manufacturer. These companies often dedicate significant financial resources to fighting litigation against them, and even with skilled legal counsel by their side, injured consumers often have their work cut out for them pursuing a favorable case outcome.
Fortunately, many such plaintiffs do not have to fight their cases alone. If multiple plaintiffs have the same or similar causes of action against the same defendant, they may be able to combine their resources and file suit together through what is known as a mass tort lawsuit. In addition to helping a plaintiff structure their own case, a qualified dangerous drugs lawyer in Alpharetta could also determine whether the plaintiff they represent can join a mass tort lawsuit in progress—or, if necessary, get one started themselves.
Consider Speaking with an Alpharetta Dangerous Drugs Attorney
Unfortunately, not every medical product sold to the public is guaranteed to be safe and effective, and those that meet neither criterion can often cause immense harm to many different people. Even worse, these products are often made by giant pharmaceutical companies that retain teams of defense lawyers to get them out of legal trouble, leaving individual victims of their negligence with few means of pursuing justice on their own.
By working with an experienced Alpharetta dangerous drugs lawyer, though, you could significantly increase your odds of success with your case and potentially help other people avoid suffering in similar ways. To schedule a consultation and discuss the options available in your situation, call today.