The American people trust their doctors to make informed, well-measured judgments about their medical care and treatment, and trust pharmaceutical manufacturers to produce safe and effective medicines. Dangerous drug cases often arise from defective products or dangerous interactions between multiple substances. Anyone who has suffered illness or injury from a dangerous drug incident should know their legal options, and it starts with identifying the root or the source of the issue.
Medical Product Liability Claims
If a drug manufacturer produces a defective medicine, they have a legal obligation to recall the affected units as soon as they become aware of the problem to minimize damage to patients. In some cases, drugs appear to be effective and work as intended for a while only to manifest negative symptoms later. Timeliness is crucial on the manufacturer’s part, as any delay in recalling dangerous drugs increases the manufacturer’s level of liability for patient damages.
Many pharmaceutical manufacturers have come under fire from government oversight and suffered damaged reputations after public scrutiny due to misrepresented or improperly tested drugs. If you took a medication only to discover later that the drug is dangerous and defective, stop taking the medication immediately and speak with a doctor about the situation. Then, contact an Charleston defective drug lawyer to help you navigate a product liability claim against the manufacturer.
If the product in question is a drug that’s commonly prescribed, you might not be the only consumer that has been injured. If this is the case, you can collaboratively file a class-action lawsuit against the drug manufacturer. A class action lawsuit may lead to a much smaller case award, but it is generally much easier and far less expensive to pursue legal action this way.
Dangerous Drug Interactions
Medical professionals including doctors and pharmacists have a legal duty to act with reasonable care and to do no harm to their patients. When a doctor prescribes a medication to a patient, the doctor must ensure that the patient does not have any conflicting medical conditions that the prescription would exacerbate. Additionally, the doctor must also check to see which other medications the patient takes. Some drugs may work as intended but perform differently when taken with other medicines. In some cases these interactions can be fatal.
Doctors must clearly explain all risks associated with any type of treatment or medication, and that includes ensuring that any prescriptions are safe for patients to take. Pharmacists must ensure they dispense patients’ orders in the correct dosage and quantity. Additionally, since many medications have clinical names that sound very similar to other substances, it is crucial to be absolutely sure of an order’s accuracy before dispensing it. Providing a patient with the wrong medication can have deadly consequences.
Why Do I Need a Lawyer for My Drug Injury Case?
A dangerous drug case may seem straightforward at first, but product liability claims and medical malpractice claims are complicated legal matters that require professional representation. The HawkLaw team is proud to represent personal injury clients in the Charleston area for all types of harmful drug cases. Prescription medications exist to heal and make life easier; when dangerous drug interactions or defective drugs put lives in danger, the responsible parties must be held accountable for their negligence.
Charleston Defective Drug Lawyer – Free Consults!
Reach out to HawkLaw to schedule a free consultation* about your dangerous drug case today. We understand how devastating these situations can be, so let us show you how we can help. We put all our experience and resources at our clients’ disposal, and we work on a contingency fee basis, meaning we don’t take a fee unless we win your case. Contact us in Mount Pleasant or Charleston about your dangerous drug case today to get started toward obtaining the compensation you deserve to recover. Call us today! (843) 429-5529.
