If you or a member of your family developed severe side effects from taking certain diabetes medications, you may be eligible to file a personal injury lawsuit against pharmaceutical companies. Personal injury lawsuits provide families and individuals harmed by defective or harmful medication remedies the opportunity to seek damages for damage caused by potentially unsafe or illegal drugs. As the number of diabetic patients continues to grow, there will likely be more personal injury cases filed by diabetics.
The number of diabetes drug suits being brought by diabetics is expected to increase over the next several years. The number of cases filed in recent years has risen sharply. Although a majority of diabetes patients who seek legal protection do so through the claims process, the rising number of cases being filed outside of the claims process has led to greater litigation success. That success is not only translating into more monetary rewards for diabetics, but greater protections for those who are affected by diabetes drugs.
In the past, most diabetics seeking damages for injuries caused by their medication received only small settlements in their diabetes drug cases. These settlements were generally less than a hundred dollars and typically resulted in a company settling the claim rather than continuing the case. The courts were reluctant to allow plaintiffs to file personal injury lawsuits against these large corporations. The courts, however, have recently become more open to granting claims against these corporations for diabetes-related injuries.
Medical professionals agree that the courts must be more accommodating to patients if they are to continue offering safer medication. Currently, there is no federal regulation requiring diabetic medications to meet the same standards of safety as other medications prescribed to patients of all ages. Doctors are encouraged to treat patients with caution and consider various potential side effects when prescribing medications.
However, in order for medical professionals to provide this level of caution, they must rely on a series of tests known as post-marketing trials. These tests determine whether or not a new medication can actually cause adverse side effects in a specific group of patients who use it. In addition, post-marketing trials must examine the drug’s safety within the diabetic population. In order to successfully complete these studies, medical professionals must have complete information about each patient’s specific medical history.
When doctors perform post-marketing trials, they must use various measures to monitor the patient’s blood sugar levels. During these tests, patients take different types of medication and the results are monitored and interpreted by an independent laboratory. By tracking the results of these tests, medical professionals can determine which patients are more likely to experience negative results.
Once the results of these studies indicate that the new medication might cause serious negative side effects, the doctor may then stop prescribing it or at least delay its use. If the FDA approves a particular type of medication, the physician may require that the patient use another medication instead. This is how the drug manufacturer can gain an advantage over diabetics and prevent them from filing a personal injury lawsuit.
Because many diabetics are unable to afford the cost of medical testing and follow-up care, many diabetics turn to personal injury attorneys and disability and pain and suffering lawyers to help them file their diabetes drug lawsuit. If you believe that you have been injured as a result of a company’s negligence, consult a reputable personal injury attorney to help you obtain monetary compensation. For a minimal fee, a skilled disability or pain and suffering lawyer can help you file your claim and receive the maximum compensation possible.
