Pensacola Dangerous Drug Attorneys

Dangerous & Defective Pharmaceutical Drugs

Advances in modern medicine have provided us with numerous pharmaceutical drugs designed to make our lives safer, healthier, and more convenient. While the majority of these drugs work as intended, others present unreasonable risks to consumers. Every year, dangerous and defective pharmaceutical drugs lead to thousands of injuries, complications, and deaths across the United States. 

If you or someone you love was harmed by a prescription or over-the-counter medication, you could be entitled to financial compensation. At the Law Office of J.J. Talbott, we have extensive experience going up against major pharmaceutical companies and manufacturers—and we are known for winning the results our clients need. To date, we have recovered more than $100 million in compensation, both in settlements and jury verdicts. 

To set up an initial consultation with our Pensacola dangerous drug attorneys, call (850) 695-8331 or reach us online using our secure contact form.

When Is a Drug Considered “Dangerous?”

Generally speaking, drugs are considered “dangerous” when their risks far outweigh their benefits. All drugs come with a risk of certain side effects, but if these side effects are unreasonable, the drug may be classified as dangerous. For example, if a heartburn medication comes with side effects including a potentially higher risk of cancer, that medication will likely be considered dangerous, as the risk of developing cancer far outweighs the benefit of relieving heartburn. 

Drugs are generally also considered dangerous when they are defective. A defective drug is one that does not work as intended and/or causes serious harm to the user. This includes cases in which a drug has unreasonable side effects, as well as unintended or unknown risks. Drugs that fail to perform as advertised can also be classified as defective. 

Three Types of Defects 

With any product, including pharmaceutical drugs, there are three primary types of possible defects: 

• Design Defects: A design defect occurs when the initial design of a product makes it so that the product is unreasonably and inherently dangerous for normal, intended use. 
• Manufacturing Defects: A manufacturing defect occurs when a product is contaminated or a flaw is introduced during the production stage.
• Labeling/Marketing Defects: Labeling/marketing defects occur when a product is missing important labels, such as warnings, or is improperly marketed for an untested use.

A pharmaceutical drug might have a design defect if its side effects pose serious risks to users, and those risks far outweigh the benefits. A manufacturing defect could occur if a batch of medications becomes contaminated during production, and a labeling defect could occur if a drug is missing proper instructions or a full list of side effects. A drug could also have a marketing defect if the manufacturer advertises it for another use than the one for which it has been tested (e.g., an anti-nausea pill used to treat morning sickness in pregnant women despite having never been tested for safety in pregnant women). 

Examples of Common Dangerous Drugs 

Any type of pharmaceutical drug or over-the-counter medication can be dangerous or defective. That being said, some drugs are more commonly the subject of product liability litigation than others. 

Some examples of dangerous and defective drugs include: 

• Abilify 
• Accutane
• Actos 
• Cymbalta
• Fosamax 
• Invokana
• Lipitor
• Nexium
• NuvaRing 
• Paxil 
• Prilosec 
• Ranitidine 
• Risperdal
• Rogaine
• Steroid injections 
• Testosterone 
• Tylenol 
• Xarelto
• Yaz/Yasmin 
• Zantac 
• Zofran
• Zoloft 

Antidepressants, birth control, blood thinners, heart medications, diabetes drugs, steroids, opioids, heartburn medications, and a wide variety of other pharmaceutical drugs have been linked with an array of negative effects. Dangerous and defective drugs can lead to cancer, excessive bleeding, increased risk of blood clots, and other potentially fatal complications. If you or someone you love was affected by a harmful pharmaceutical drug, reach out to the Law Office of J.J. Talbott today to learn how we can help you and your family fight for justice.