Defective Prescription Drug Class Actions

Millions of people around the country place their trust in doctors when it comes to their health and the health of their loved ones. A wide array of prescription drugs allow doctors to treat illnesses, either by alleviating the symptoms of a disease or attacking its cause. Over-the-counter medications and dietary supplements allow consumers to treat minor health conditions and prevent some illnesses. The companies that formulate, manufacture, and distribute these drugs owe a duty of care to make them safe and effective. When a company allows a defective or dangerous drug into the stream of commerce, it may be liable for the injuries that drug causes to consumers. Sometimes a dangerous or defective drug causes injuries to a large group of people. In those cases, class action litigation gives consumers an efficient and effective means of asserting their legal rights. The Chicago defective prescription drug lawyers at Nationwide Consumer Rights have extensive experience standing up for the rights of injured consumers.

Dangerous and Defective Prescription and Other Drugs

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates the production, distribution, and marketing of many types of drugs. Certain drugs may only be produced with the approval of the FDA, and are only legally available to consumers with a prescription from a licensed medical professional. Other products may be available to consumers through direct sale as drugs known as over-the-counter medications, or as “dietary supplements” such as vitamins or herbs.

Medication Products Liability

In addition to penalties from government health regulators, dangerous or defective drugs may also lead to civil liability to consumers injured by those drugs. Federal and state laws allow consumers to recover damages from the manufacturers, distributors, or retailers of dangerous or defective products, including drugs and dietary supplements. A plaintiff claiming damages caused by a dangerous or defective drug must demonstrate a causal connection between their injuries and the correct usage of the drug. In cases alleging a failure to warn of a dangerous condition or side effect, a plaintiff must show that the risk or damage was reasonably foreseeable to the manufacturer or distributor. Plaintiffs can recover for medical expenses resulting from their injuries and other compensatory damages, and may be able to recover punitive damages in some cases, such as if a manufacturer acted with more than simple negligence.

Drug and Prescription Class Actions

Some dangerous or defective drugs cause injuries to a large number of people. In those cases, the injured consumers may bring their claims jointly as a class action lawsuit. This allows consumers who might not have the resources to assert their rights by themselves to join a group of similarly-situated plaintiffs who can assert their rights together. It also presents a unified front to a drug manufacturer or retailer.

Serving clients in Chicago and beyond, the defective prescription drug lawyers at Nationwide Consumer Rights have dedicated our practice to protecting the rights of consumers around the country. Our attorneys have decades of experience representing plaintiffs in claims for violations of consumer protection statutes and other civil claims. To schedule a free and confidential consultation with one of our Chicago defective prescription drug attorneys, contact us today online or at 630-333-0000.