Patients in the United States put a great deal of trust in their doctor, pharmaceutical companies, and the federal government in assuming that the medications prescribed to them are safe. However, the truth that a personal injury attorney could share with you about how some medications make it on the market and into the hands of patients may not be as comforting.
Pharmaceutical companies are required by the federal government to do some testing on their medications before they are available for public use, but frequently the tests are rushed through or the results are hidden or made to look better than they actually are. If you were hurt by an over-the-counter or prescription medication, a Wheaton dangerous drugs lawyer may be able to help you recover damages. Speak with a skilled personal injury attorney today, and know that you are in capable hands.
What is a Dangerous Drug?
Even with federal laws and systems in place to help protect American patients, dangerous drugs still make their way onto the market. Medications that are known to cause various degrees of harm are referred to as dangerous drugs.
Common harms caused by these dangerous drugs include hepatitis, low blood sugar, miscarriage, liver toxicity, stroke, kidney dysfunction, suicidal ideations, heart attacks, bleeding, immune deficiencies, and even unexplained death. Many times, appropriate and necessary testing—which should take place over several years before a drug even reaches the market—has not been conducted on these drugs. For more information, get in touch with a Wheaton dangerous drugs lawyer today.
Drug Recalls
According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), when a medication is found to have risks that outweigh its benefits, it is recalled and removed from the market. Frequently, dangerous drugs are recalled due to safety issues that cannot or have yet to be corrected or because they have severe side effects that were not known at the time of its approval.
However, just because a drug is recalled does not mean the company that manufactured it is exempt from civil liability, especially if the reason(s) for the recall were flaws the manufacturer reasonably should have known about. A Wheaton dangerous drugs lawyer may be able to help victims of dangerous drugs file suit against negligent drug manufacturers and seek compensation for the injuries and losses caused by the dangerous drug they took.
Statute of Limitations for Wheaton Dangerous Drug Cases
Potential plaintiffs in dangerous drug cases are given two years from the date that their injury was discovered to file a lawsuit, according to 735 ILCS 5/13-213. This is known as the statute of limitations. If a patient in Wheaton began taking a drug and did not notice any of their symptoms until a year later, the statute of limitations would run from the date the symptoms first started, not when the drug was first taken.
Once this time limit has passed, a potential plaintiff can no longer seek a legal remedy for their injuries. This means it could be extremely important to contact a qualified dangerous drugs lawyer in Wheaton as soon as possible after taking a drug that is suspected to be dangerous.
Talking to a Wheaton Dangerous Drugs Attorney
Although you may not be feeling well or may have experienced extreme symptoms after taking a medication that you believed to be safe, there is still hope. A dedicated Wheaton dangerous drugs lawyer may be able to help you hold the pharmaceutical company that manufactured that medication accountable for your injuries.
Seasoned attorneys could work hard on your behalf to understand how taking a dangerous drug has impacted you and to make drug manufacturers aware as well. Get in touch today to learn more about your legal representation options for a dangerous drug case.