Have you been injured or made ill by a defective drug? You may be able to file a claim with the help of a New York product liability attorney.
For relief from a medical condition, people often turn to pharmaceuticals prescribed by their physician. Unfortunately, these drugs may not always work the way they should or can even make the patient’s condition worse. Sometimes this is due to prescription error on the part of the doctor or pharmacist, but in some cases it’s because the drug company mislabeled the drug or made some other manufacturing mistake.
On October 1st, 2012, a district court in Virginia issued a $500 million fine and $198.5 million forfeiture to Abbott Laboratories for illegal drug marketing, according to a Department of Justice release. A $1.5 million payment to the commonwealth of Virginia was also ordered. The drug in question is Depakote, a product approved to help prevent migraines and to treat seizures and mania in adult bipolar patients. Abbot Laboratories had been labeling the drug to treat symptoms of dementia in Alzheimer’s patients, a use that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had not approved.
Abbot pled guilty to misdemeanor criminal misbranding charges, resulting in the large fine. In addition, the company also will pay $800 million in a civil settlement and is being forced to enter a probationary period for 5 years.
While this case involves the second-largest criminal fine ever against a drug company for a single drug, there have also been many other civil cases against pharmaceutical companies for defective drugs, and these suits have won large settlements to cover losses, expenses and other damages.
A New York product liability attorney can help you determine whether you have a case and guide you through the process of filing a claim. Sometimes a defective drug claim can take a long time to complete, but with the right legal guidance and support, it may be worth seeing it through to recover compensation for damages.
Contacting a New York Product Liability Attorney
People treated with a defective drug can find their health – and their lives – turned upside down. If you or a family member were made sick by a defective pharmaceutical product, you may be eligible to file a claim. The law firm of Gacovino, Lake & Associates will evaluate your case, help you file a claim and fight for your rights under the law. Call them at 1-800-246-4878.
