Palm Springs Dangerous Drugs Lawyer

Over-the-counter and prescription drugs generally work wonders for treating various conditions. Although rare, sometimes the drugs are more harmful than what they cure, which people might discover through continued testing or reports about patient side effects. The drug may be pulled from shelves when a defect or danger is detected. For some people, that may be too late.

When you suffer life-threatening side effects or any harm after taking medicine prescribed for you or purchased at a pharmacy, contact a Palm Springs dangerous drugs lawyer to discuss pursuing the careless source for compensation through a personal injury claim.

The Manufacturer is Not the Only Possible Defendant

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is in charge of approving new drugs after extensive testing and monitoring, a safety precaution that generally works well. Sometimes, manufacturers hide troubling results or do not test thoroughly in a rush to release a new drug. A person can hold the manufacturer accountable for injuries the new drug causes when this happens. Other parties involved in getting the drug to market could also be responsible for negligence. These additional defendants include:

• Testing labs involved in the approval process
• Drug distributors
• Doctors who prescribe indiscriminately, such as for pain or for a reason other than what the drug was meant to treat
• Nursing care facilities or hospitals where patients are overmedicated
• Pharmacies that dispense medication incorrectly

A skilled attorney in Palm Springs strives on behalf of injured parties to identify all possible defendants and hold them liable for compensating victims of dangerous drugs.

Liability Claims for Dangerous Drugs

Pharmaceutical and over-the-counter medications can be defective in three ways. Claims filed by an injured person fall under product liability and target the manufacturer when the drug is defective before the distributor, pharmacy, or consumer handle it. This occurs when the manufacturer stores or labels a product improperly or mixes an inappropriate substance with the proper elements.

Like a design defect in other consumer products, a drug may have dangerous side effects if its formula is ill-conceived. The side effects may not cause widespread concern for years until enough patients suffer from them. This was the case with ranitidine, the main ingredient in the over-the-counter heartburn drug Zantac, which caused cancer in a large number of people who participated in a class-action lawsuit for compensation for the harm done.

Deceptive Marketing May Be Actionable

Drug companies have added disclosures about the side effects of their drugs to their marketing campaigns, found in television and print advertising. This is helpful to the consumer weighing whether the risk is warranted, but drug companies must still include warning labels on the products. Failure to warn consumers about a drug’s danger can lead to a negligence claim when a consumer uses a product correctly but is not aware of possible problems and injuries.

Laws require some warnings to be in more obvious print to ensure consumers do not miss seeing them. Consumers who ingest a prescription or over-the-counter drug that caused them harm should contact a dangerous drugs lawyer in Palm Springs to help recover compensation for their suffering.

A Palm Springs Dangerous Drugs Lawyer Works for Compensation

You should feel confident the prescribed or over-the-counter medication you take is safe. The FDA backs rigorous testing and monitors drugs for safety and efficiency after being introduced into the marketplace. Sometimes, however, drug companies are more interested in profits than your safety, and you could be injured.

When you encounter serious side effects from doctor-prescribed or pharmacy-bought medication, contact one of our seasoned Palm Springs dangerous drug lawyers to learn if compensation could be available.