Why Boohoff Law Can Make a Difference in Your Dangerous Drug Case
Dangerous and defective drugs pose severe risks to patients of all ages, not just senior citizens or at-risk groups. Anyone who takes medication at any age can be subject to serious side effects and other dangers if the prescriber or manufacturer does not give proper warnings.
Tatiana Boohoff has been fighting for injured victims’ rights for the past 10-plus years. From her office in Tampa, Ms. Boohoff has put her skills and determination to good use when representing victims of all ages.
If you suffered an injury due to a dangerous or defective drug, call the Tampa dangerous drugs lawyers at Boohoff Law to schedule a consultation. Please do not wait to contact us, as you only have a limited time within the law to file a claim.
About Dangerous Drugs
When the general public thinks of dangerous drugs, illegal drugs such as cocaine and methamphetamine come to mind. People rarely consider that the prescription drugs openly distributed throughout the marketplace are dangerous and defective. To protect the public from unsafe drugs, the FDA and drug manufacturers issue drug recalls. A drug recall occurs because something discovered within the drug makes it harmful for the general public to consume.
Case Examples: Dangerous Effects of Teva Pharmaceuticals
One of the most recent drug recalls that occurred in March was the recall of Teva Pharmaceuticals. The company recalled the drug IDArubicin Hydrochloride Injection USP after an internal investigation revealed that silica and iron oxide particulate matter appeared in the vials.
These particulates can cause consumers to experience irritation and swelling. If the matter reaches the blood vessels, it can travel through various organs and block the blood vessels in organs like the heart and brain, leading to a potential stroke.
What Is Manufacturer Liability?
Every American manufacturer has a responsibility to every American consumer. The manufacturer must develop a safe product for the consumer to use without the possibility of harm. The product must meet the regular expectations of the consumer. When a product causes injury to a consumer, the manufacturer can be held liable for producing a defective product.
FDA Assessment of Dangerous Drugs
The FDA assesses the severity of a drug defect through a standard health hazard evaluation.
The FDA’s health hazard evaluation evaluates the deficiency of a drug based on:
- Whether the drug initiated any diseases or injuries in consumers
- Whether the existing injuries can contribute to a higher health hazard in the future
- An assessment of what the potential implications of the threat can be if it were to exist
- An assessment of how serious the health hazard will affect most at-risk groups
- An evaluation of the likelihood that the risk will happen
- An assessment of the hazard’s short-term and long-term consequences
What Are the Different Classes of Defective Drugs
After the health hazard evaluation, the FDA categorizes the drug’s risk by different classes.
The drug classifications categorize drugs as Class I, Class II, and Class III.
- Class I. Drugs in this classification contain a dangerous defect that can cause a severe health disorder or even death.
- Class II. Drugs in this classification can cause serious or temporary health conditions.
- Class III. Drugs in this classification are unlikely to cause a serious health disorder but violate the FDA manufacturing regulations.
Careless Actions of Drug Manufacturers
Although pharmaceutical drugs cure or relieve a particular condition, they can also cause additional side effects or pain from consuming them. Even though there are mandatory tests that drug manufacturers must perform to meet federal guidelines, many of the drugs in the marketplace have not undergone proper testing.
Even worse, many drug manufacturers are aware of the potential side effects that their drugs cause but decide to still manufacture and distribute them in the marketplace. This act of negligence puts many consumers’ health at risk.
Consequences of Consuming Dangerous Drugs
Being exposed to a dangerous or defective drug is similar to being exposed to an illegal drug. The consequences can be disastrous depending on how long the consumer used the drug.
Victims exposed to dangerous drugs can suffer from severe health conditions like cancer, hypertension, diabetes, and heart conditions. They can require costly and invasive treatment to address their new health concerns, in addition to treatment for their underlying issues.
Other Types of Defective Drugs
Prescription drugs are not the only types of dangerous drugs exposed to the general public.
Some examples of defective drugs include:
- Antidepressants. These types of drugs treat symptoms of depression and similar mental disorders. However, defective antidepressants have also caused severe side effects such as suicidal tendencies, congenital disabilities, and withdrawal.
- Diabetes drugs. When these drugs are defective, they can cause severe conditions like heart attacks and other cardiovascular diseases.
- Birth control pills. When birth control pills are defective, they can cause consumers to experience serious health conditions like blood clots and stroke. Consumers may even experience pulmonary embolisms and deep vein thrombosis in difficult situations.
- Heart disease medications. Consumers exposed to defective blood thinners can suffer from heart attacks, liver failure, and kidney failure. Some patients can even experience conditions like uncontrolled bleeding and severe muscle injury.
- Antibiotics. Defective antibiotic medications cause patients to experience symptoms such as heart problems and bacterial infections.
- Antipsychotic medications. Defective antipsychotic medications can cause patients to experience liver failure and pancreatitis. If patients are pregnant while taking these defective drugs, the unborn babies are at risk of experiencing severe congenital disabilities.
Start Working With Our Tampa Dangerous Drugs Lawyers Today
Consumers exposed to dangerous drugs are at risk of suffering from severe mental and physical conditions. In some cases, exposure to dangerous drugs can lead to death. Even if patients exposed to these hazardous drugs do survive, the road to recovery will be tumultuous and expensive.
At Boohoff Law, we understand how scary it is to experience the adverse effects of a dangerous drug and the toll it takes on you and your family. We also understand that the main priority for you and your family is healing, and you may feel as if the drug manufacturer holds all of the power. However, that is not the case.
We encourage dangerous drug victims to seek legal help as soon as possible. The faster you begin the legal process against the drug manufacturer, the better your chances of receiving the appropriate compensation that you deserve.
When it comes to dangerous drugs, you and your family are rarely the only victims of the manufacturer’s negligence. The manufacturer may have exposed multiple victims to their dangerous drugs but relied on intimidation tactics to silence victims from pursuing their deserved justice.
Another reason not to wait to pursue legal action against the drug manufacturers is the response from insurance adjusters. Although the statute of limitations in Florida for product liability claims is four years from the date of injury, insurance companies may attempt to deny your claim if you do not file it within a reasonable period.
Regardless of how sympathetic insurance adjusters may act, they will try to deny your claim and question the validity of your injuries from the dangerous drug.
Call Boohoff Law Tampa Dangerous Drugs Lawyers Now
The team at Boohoff Law knows how devastating it can be to suffer the adverse effects of a dangerous drug that you believed was safe to consume. We also understand that drug manufacturers should not get away with putting you or your loved one’s health in jeopardy. We’re here to help you enforce your rights to compensation under Florida law. Complete our contact form, or call our office in Tampa at (813) 445-8161 for a free consultation with a member of our team today.
Boohoff Law P.A. Tampa, Florida Location
829 W Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd
Tampa, FL 33603
Phone: (813) 536-6221
