Just about everyone depends on at least one over-the-counter or prescription medication to manage a chronic condition or to deal with minor day-to-day aches and pains. For the most part, these drugs are reasonably safe to use as directed and come with relatively few dangerous side effects. However, new medications are put onto the market every year, some of which end up causing catastrophic harm to consumers.
When a defective or unreasonably dangerous medication causes you serious physical harm, a seasoned personal injury attorney can help you demand civil compensation from all liable parties. By working with a knowledgeable Carpentersville dangerous drugs lawyer, you could more efficiently navigate around common procedural obstacles and maximize your chances of obtaining the restitution you need.
One crucial detail to understand about dangerous and defective drug litigation in Illinois is that drug manufacturers are not automatically liable for every unwanted side effect one of their products has. To encourage further research and development on life-improving and often life-saving products, both state and federal courts grant pharmaceutical companies significant leeway in terms of civil liability for harm sustained by consumers. However, this is provided that those companies make reasonable efforts to test their products thoroughly and warn doctors and the public about all known hazards.
If a drug company fails to conduct enough research to discover a serious side effect or contraindication in one of its products, it may be civilly liable for harm that likely could have been prevented with more diligent testing. Likewise, if a drug company knows about a particular side effect of a drug but either recklessly or deliberately fails to disclose it to doctors and consumers, they could hold liability for illness or injury sustained by people who took the drug without being properly informed of its risks. A Carpentersville dangerous drugs attorney could go into further detail about what circumstances might serve as valid grounds for a lawsuit during a private consultation.
Like a standard personal injury lawsuit, a successful claim built around a dangerous medication can demand compensation for both economic and non-economic losses, including:
However, since multinational drug companies have billions of dollars to devote to their own legal defense, it can be challenging for a single person to compel a drug manufacturer to compensate them for the effects of a defective medication. Fortunately, a dangerous drugs attorney in Carpentersville can help explore the possibility of joining or starting a mass tort claim, which would allow multiple plaintiffs with similar causes of action to work together in demanding compensation from a single defendant.
Filing suit over an unreasonably dangerous medication is never a simple process, but neither is dealing with the negative effects that a defective drug may have on your life. You deserve fair restitution for the harm you unfairly suffered due to a drug manufacturer’s misconduct.
A conversation with a Carpentersville dangerous drugs lawyer could put you on track toward the best possible resolution to your claim. Call today to schedule a meeting.