Dangerous & Defective Drugs Attorney Helping Victims of Defective Drug Injuries
We put a lot of faith in our medical professionals and, though we might not like to admit it, much of that faith extends to pharmaceutical companies. We expect “Big Pharma” not to sell us drugs that are harmful or defective, even while much of the country harbors a deep mistrust of the pharmaceutical industry generally. We hope that our doctors are looking out for our best interests and will act as the filter that prevents us from ingesting a product that turns out to be dangerous or faulty. Unfortunately, doctors are often relying on the pharmaceutical industry to adequately test and market their drugs, and sometimes the industry fails us. An inadequately tested drug, a drug with unexplained side effects, or a drug with hidden or deliberately-ignored dangers can lead to serious, dangerous, and even fatal consequences for patients and other consumers. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, pharmaceutical drugs are responsible for over 40,000 deaths across the country every year.
When members of the pharmaceutical industry put out a harmful drug, they must be held accountable for the damage they cause. If you or a loved one has been hurt by a defective or dangerous drug, you are eligible for a free evaluation by our West Virginia product liability attorneys. The dedicated and zealous Martinsburg personal injury lawyers at Burke, Schultz, Harman & Jenkinson are ready and able to fight on your behalf against Big Pharma.
The FDA sometimes gets it wrong
Just because the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves a drug does not mean the drug is ultimately safe. There have been a number of FDA-approved medications that were later recalled when further evidence of danger came to light. In other cases, the medications are approved but the product labels do not adequately advertise potential harmful side-effects. The FDA may post warning letters about possible side-effects, but the companies may not respond sufficiently. These companies must be brought to task for any injuries or illnesses their products cause.
Moreover, the FDA does not ban all drugs that may be harmful. The FDA may send cease-and-desist or other warning letters to companies that market over-the-counter (OTC) drugs but either fail to include adequate warnings of side effects or addictive qualities, or that market drugs for improper and unproven purposes. When the companies continue to ignore the FDA warnings and their products harm consumers, they may be liable.
Dangerous or defective drug claims can be brought regarding prescription or OTC medications. In addition to recalled drugs and undisclosed side effects, defective drug cases may be based on drugs that were not adequately tested for all potential side effects, manufacturing errors, mislabeling, dosage errors, or inadequate warnings. Your West Virginia defective drug attorney can help you determine if you have a claim.
Choose a qualified defective drug attorney with technical expertise
Defective drug cases can be significantly more complicated than simple car accidents or slip-and-fall cases. You need an attorney who is adept at wading through medical journals, statistics, and other forms of research to determine the correlation between the drug and the harm you have experienced. You want an attorney who will retain the right type of expert to develop the strongest evidence in your favor. At Burke, Schultz, Harman & Jenkinson, our dangerous and defective drug lawyers have the knowledge and talent to effectively pursue claims based on dangerous drugs for our clients.
Claims based on defective drugs must be filed within a certain time limit after you were injured by the drug or reasonably should have known you were injured. Don’t delay in taking action on your claims; contact the seasoned attorneys at Burke, Schultz, Harman & Jenkinson as soon as possible after you discover the defect or the harm.
If you’ve been injured by a dangerous or defective drug in West Virginia, contact the skilled and effective personal injury lawyers at Burke, Schultz, Harman & Jenkinson for a free evaluation of your case, at 304-263-0900 or 304-LAWYERS.
