Medicine is supposed to help you feel better. However, that doesn’t always happen. Sometimes, you may experience side effects that the manufacturer or the doctor didn’t warn you about. While most of the side effects are innocuous, some of them can cause life-threatening injuries. Whether it is an addictive drug, inadequately tested medication, or improper prescription, you can suffer serious injuries.
If a prescribed drug or other medication has harmed you or a loved one, you have the right to seek compensation for the damages that occurred as a result. Our team of Houma dangerous drug lawyers understands the intricacies of pharmaceutical law. Therefore, we will advocate for your right to compensation. The legal team at Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers will review your legal options during a free consultation.
How Drugs Can Cause Harm
It is only reasonable for a patient to expect that the drugs they will take, whether prescribed or sold over the counter, will work and be safe for consumption. However, in case you suffer unexpected harm, it is likely for the following reasons:
- Testing and approval: Drug manufacturers are responsible for extensively studying and testing their drugs before the government approves them. Making any mistakes or errors in this phase means there are impeding risks to consumers.
- Manufacturing and distribution: Drug manufacturing must be carried with the utmost care, precision, and quality control. Failing to uphold these standards can cause consumers to suffer serious injuries. If quality control is hard to manage, especially when drugs are made outside the United States, they must be stored and shipped correctly to avoid contamination.
- Prescription: Even after adhering to proper manufacturing standards and subjecting the drugs to rigorous testing, medicines can still cause harm if prescribed wrongly. Therefore, manufacturers must give proper guidance and direction on the kind of prescription drug patients should be given.
- Side effects: Nearly every drug has side effects, which should be indicated on the medication’s label or in literature about the drug. Otherwise, patients are vulnerable to risks they weren’t aware of beforehand.
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Manufacturers, Physicians, and Pharmacists: Who’s Liable?
If a drug manufacturer releases drugs that injure a patient, the patient has a right to file a lawsuit against the manufacturer for a dangerous drug. Depending on the circumstances around your case, it may fall under one or all of the following cases:
Negligence: To succeed in a negligence case, you will need to prove the manufacturer owed you a duty of care to exercise reasonable caution during the design and manufacture of the drug. Further, you will need to prove it failed in its duty of care to sell a safe product, thus causing your injuries. Finally, you will need to prove the dangerous drug caused your injuries.
Some of the actions that could lead to a manufacturer’s negligence include:
- Releasing the drug to the market too hastily
- Failing to test the drug thoroughly
- Failing to foresee reasonable alternative uses of the drug
Strict liability: Under the doctrine of strict liability, you will only need to prove the drug was defective and that you suffered injuries as a result. Whether or not care was exercised during manufacturing, the drug’s maker will be held liable for any injuries suffered. However, the claim is valid only if the consumer bought the drug in the chain of distribution.
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Pharmacists Have a Role to Play
Besides the manufacturer, pharmacists are responsible for dispensing the correct dosage of drugs to patients. They must also check if the prescribed medication has any adverse interactions with other substances a patient may be taking. Additionally, they should disclose, explicitly, all information regarding risks, side effects, dosage, and other relative information that may help you take the drugs safely.
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Doctors May Be Liable
Doctors have a responsibility to prescribe the right drug and dosage. They should consider your medical history while prescribing the medication to ensure it does not negatively interact with your existing conditions. Suppose a doctor fails to consider your medical conditions before prescribing a drug to you or fails to disclose any potential harm that the drug may cause. In that case, they may be responsible for the injuries you might suffer.
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Recoverable Damages in a Houma Dangerous Drugs Lawsuit
Dangerous drugs can cause physical and emotional suffering and a financial burden to you and your family. If a dangerous drug injured you, you might be eligible to recover economic and non-economic damages. Our team of dangerous drug lawyers will fight for your rights, helping you recover damages such as:
- Medical costs, covering current and future treatment
- Lost wages for the days you couldn’t work because of your injuries
- Loss of earning capacity, especially if you suffered a disability, a chronic condition, or disfigurement
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional turmoil
How a Houma Dangerous Drugs Lawyer Can Help Your Case
A dangerous drugs lawyer in Houma can help you determine if your case is valid. At Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers, we offer a full spectrum of legal services to help you succeed in your claim or lawsuit. These services include:
- Case assessment
- Private investigation
- Interviewing witnesses
- Handling legal paperwork
- Facilitating communication between all parties involved in your case
- Legal representation during settlement negotiations and at trial in a court of law
Dangerous Drugs Cases Have a One-Year Deadline in Houma, Louisiana
A lawsuit involving injuries caused by dangerous drugs must be filed within Louisiana’s statute of limitations. According to CC Art. 3492, you must file an injury lawsuit within one year from the date of the incident.
Failure to meet this deadline means you forfeit your right to claim your compensation. To ensure you aren’t barred from claiming your damages, we encourage you to find a dangerous drug lawyer in Houma who can help you file your action within the deadline as you focus on your recovery.
Call Us About Your Dangerous Drugs Case Today
We understand how devastating it can be when a drug does more harm than good. That is why we are committed to helping you build a strong case against the liable parties and pursue the maximum compensation available.
If you or a loved one has suffered injuries from using a dangerous drug, call Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers today to get in touch with our legal team today at (337) 777-7777.
Get The HelpYou Need(337) 777-7777To Schedule a FREE CONSULTATION
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