When a Medication Does More Harm than Good
Pharmaceutical companies develop drugs to treat illness and improve lives. But they’re also driven by profit; they operate under enormous pressure to bring products to market quickly and generate returns for shareholders. When that pressure leads a company to rush a drug through testing, conceal unfavorable safety data, or fail to warn doctors and patients about known risks, the people who pay the price are the patients—not the executives who made those decisions.
The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for approving drugs before they reach the market and monitoring their safety afterward. But the agency’s ability to do that job has real limitations. Fast-track approval pathways, which allow some drugs to reach patients more quickly, reduce the time available for thorough safety testing. And because the FDA depends largely on the manufacturers themselves to provide safety data, there is a direct conflict of interest baked into the process—the same companies that stand to profit enormously from a drug’s approval are the ones responsible for demonstrating that it’s safe.
Once a drug is on the market, the FDA relies on a post-market surveillance system that depends heavily on voluntary reporting from manufacturers and healthcare providers. Serious problems can go undetected—or deliberately unreported—for years. By the time a dangerous drug is recalled or its warning label updated, thousands of patients may have already been seriously harmed. In too many of these cases, internal documents that surface during lawsuits reveal that the manufacturer knew—or had every reason to suspect—that something was wrong long before they warned anyone.
That is not acceptable. And the law agrees. If a drug caused you or someone you love serious harm that the manufacturer failed to adequately disclose, you have the right to hold them accountable—and our Arkansas dangerous drug lawyers have the experience and the tenacity to help you do it.
Understanding Dangerous Drug Lawsuits
Not every adverse reaction to a medication gives rise to a lawsuit. If a side effect was clearly disclosed on the drug’s warning label and your doctor explained the risks before you took it, that alone may not be enough. On the other hand, you may have a dangerous drug case if the manufacturer:
- Concealed or downplayed known risks to protect sales
- Failed to adequately test the drug before bringing it to market
- Failed to update warnings after discovering new dangers post-release
- Produced a drug that was contaminated or defective during manufacturing
- Marketed the drug for uses it was never approved for
Most dangerous drug lawsuits are handled as mass torts—a process that allows large numbers of people harmed by the same drug to pursue claims together, while each person’s damages are evaluated individually. That means the compensation you recover is based on what the drug actually did to you and your family, not divided equally among thousands of plaintiffs. Depending on the circumstances of your case, recoverable damages may include:
- Current and future medical expenses
- Lost wages and lost earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Wrongful death damages for families who have lost a loved one
Our Arkansas dangerous drug attorneys also handle class action lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies, where plaintiffs pursue a single collective case against the same defendant. If the lawsuit is successful, all eligible class members receive a portion of the settlement from the manufacturer.
Drug Side Effect Cases We Are Currently Handling
Each year, thousands of consumers file defective drug lawsuits against pharmaceutical manufacturers for severe injuries and complications—internal bleeding, heart attacks, strokes, blood pressure problems, kidney failure, cancer, and more—allegedly caused by a dangerous medication.
Examples of prescription drugs that are currently the subject of litigation include:
Abilify
Abilify is an antipsychotic medication used to treat schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression. Thousands of patients have filed lawsuits alleging that manufacturer Bristol-Myers Squibb failed to warn them that the drug could trigger compulsive behaviors—including compulsive gambling, hypersexuality, and compulsive eating and shopping—that caused serious personal and financial harm.
Belviq
Belviq was a prescription weight-loss drug that was pulled from the U.S. market in 2020 after the FDA requested its withdrawal following a clinical trial that showed an increased risk of cancer in patients who took the drug. Lawsuits allege that the manufacturer, Eisai, failed to adequately warn patients and physicians about this risk.
Invokana
Invokana is a Type 2 diabetes drug manufactured by Janssen, a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary, that has been the subject of multiple FDA warnings. Lawsuits allege that Invokana’s manufacturer failed to adequately warn patients and doctors about the drug’s links to serious complications, including kidney failure, diabetic ketoacidosis, and an increased risk of lower limb amputations.
Risperdal
Risperdal is an antipsychotic medication prescribed to treat schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and irritability associated with autism. Manufacturer Johnson & Johnson has faced thousands of lawsuits—and paid billions in settlements and verdicts—over allegations that it failed to warn patients and doctors that the drug could cause gynecomastia, the development of breast tissue in males, particularly in boys and young men. Evidence introduced at trial showed J&J knew about this risk years before adding it to the drug’s label.
This is by no means an exhaustive list. If you believe you or a loved one was seriously harmed by a medication not listed here, contact us anyway. Our Arkansas defective drug lawyers will evaluate your situation and let you know whether we can help.
Who Can Be Held Liable?
Dangerous drug cases fall under an area of law known as product liability, which holds those responsible for designing, manufacturing, and distributing products legally accountable when those products cause harm. Depending on where in the process the failure occurred, potentially liable parties may include:
- The pharmaceutical company that developed and tested the drug
- The manufacturer, if the drug was contaminated or defectively produced
- Distributors or pharmacies, in limited circumstances
- Companies that marketed the drug for unapproved uses
When we take a case, our Arkansas defective drug attorneys scrutinize the full chain of responsibility to make sure every party whose negligence contributed to your harm is held accountable—and that every available insurance policy is identified. The more parties we can hold responsible, the more compensation may be available to you.
Let Caddell Reynolds Take Up Your Cause
When a dangerous drug has upended your life, it’s natural to feel you have no chance against a large pharmaceutical company and its formidable legal team. But Caddell Reynolds is every bit as formidable. We’re not intimidated by the powerful entities working against our clients’ interests, and we know how to make them pay.
What can you expect when you hire our Arkansas defective drug lawyers?
- Investigating your claim:Â Our attorneys will dig into the drug’s history, the manufacturer’s internal knowledge, and the harm it has caused to build the strongest possible case on your behalf.
- Working with experts:Â We collaborate with medical and pharmaceutical experts to fully document the impact of your injuries and establish the connection between the drug and your harm.
- Handling all communications:Â From the moment you hire us, we take over all communications with the drug company and its insurers, so you aren’t pressured into accepting a low-ball settlement.
- Identifying all avenues for compensation:Â We make sure every responsible party is identified and held accountable.
- No fees unless we win:Â We handle dangerous drug cases on a contingency fee basis. You pay nothing up front, and if we don’t win your case, you owe us nothing.
We’re ready to champion your cause. Call 800-671-4100 or reach out online 24/7 to connect with a dangerous drug lawyer who can evaluate your claim for free.
