When people think of dangerous drugs, they usually think of illicit drugs, such as cocaine or heroin. Most people do not consider prescription or over-the-counter medications to be hazardous. The majority of people consider drugs that are commonly available to consumers or patients to be safe. They trust that these medications have undergone extensive testing and met all safety guidelines. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. Even legal drugs can jeopardize a person’s health.
If you or your family members became ill after taking a medication that was supposed to be safe, a skilled personal injury attorney at the Reaves Law Firm, PLLC is prepared to help. A Jackson dangerous drugs lawyer could review the facts of your injury and advise on whether you should pursue a lawsuit for damages.
Before releasing a new medication to the public, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires pharmaceutical manufacturers to test the drug to make sure that the proposed new medicine’s potential benefits outweigh its possible risks. Companies need to sample a large and diverse segment of the population for a long enough time to observe the effects of the drug. Not every drug is perfect. In fact, most medication has side effects. The critical consideration is that the possibly harmful side effects must not outweigh the possible benefits the new drug could give patients. If the drug has adverse effects, the manufacturer needs to disclose them clearly on the packaging or an insert.
Drug companies have a responsibility and duty to the public to produce medication that is reasonably safe. If they fail to manufacture safe drugs and a consumer suffers an injury, the manufacturer should be liable for that mistake. A diligent Jackson dangerous drugs attorney could review the testing log and manufacturing process to see if the drug manufacturer complied with the FDA testing and manufacturing guidelines. They could also examine the warnings included with the medication to see if they were sufficient to advise a reasonable consumer of the potential risks.
Doctors and medical staff must learn their patient’s complete medical history before prescribing a new drug. They need to be sure if their patient is taking any other medication that could counteract the proposed new drug and be aware of any medical conditions that could counter indicate taking the new medication. They also must ensure that they prescribe the correct dosage. For instance, a 25-year-old man would not take the same dose as a newborn baby.
The medical staff in charge of administering the drug must ensure that they give the correct dosage of the right medicine at the precise time. Medication errors in hospitals can lead to devastating injuries. Pharmacists who fulfill a physician’s drug orders must also be cautious and ensure they fulfill the order correctly. They also need to look out for drug interactions.
If a doctor or pharmacist fails to perform any of the duties listed above and a patient suffers the consequences, the injured party may have a right to file a claim. A qualified unsafe drugs lawyer in Jackson could investigate a particular case to determine where the mistake occurred and who is ultimately to blame.
When you get sick, you expect that you can reach for a pill to treat your sickness. What happens when the drug that is supposed to make you better makes you even sicker? People suffer life-threatening injuries and even die from medication mistakes every year. If the drug manufacturers in charge of producing the drugs and the medical staff in charge of administering those drugs had acted reasonably and responsibly, many of those injuries and deaths could have been avoided.
If an unsafe medication harmed you or your loved one, you should meet with a Jackson dangerous drugs lawyer. The proactive team of attorneys at the Reaves Law Firm, PLLC could investigate to determine what exactly caused your injuries and help you pursue a claim against the responsible party. Call today to schedule a case review.
