Garden Grove Dangerous Drugs Lawyer

When doctors prescribe a drug to help you with a medical condition, you expect the drug to improve your condition, not worsen it or cause an additional medical problem. When a drug causes an unexpected side effect or exacerbates an existing medical condition, a person may suffer severe and lasting impairments. Drug manufacturers are responsible for ensuring the drugs they provide to consumers are safe for consumption, and when a drug results in injury to a consumer, they can be held legally responsible.

If you suffered from the use of unsafe drugs, a Garden Grove dangerous drugs lawyer could help you file a claim for compensation. A seasoned personal injury attorney could assist your case by establishing proof of the responsible party’s negligence and building a strong case.

Dangerous Drugs Manufacturer Liability

There are a number of ways a manufacturer can be held accountable for the unanticipated side effects and medical consequences of the drugs they create.

Even when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the drug, the manufacturer can still face civil liability for injuries to consumers who take the drug. A manufacturer may be held liable for consumers injured by drugs when they:

  • Fail to accurately represent the effectiveness of and risk factors involved in taking the drug
  • Alter the manufacturing process following FDA approval to reduce costs
  • Market a drug for off-label usage
  • Push a drug rapidly through production with insufficient clinical trials

When one of these situations causes a drug to injure consumers, a Garden Grove dangerous drugs attorney may be able to help.

Strict Liability Laws in Garden Grove

California product liability laws are meant to protect consumers who are injured by dangerous drugs. Any manufacturer that designs, sells, or produces a defective product, including drugs, is strictly liable for damages resulting from usage of the drug, even if the manufacturer was not negligent. There are three different types of situations in which drugs are subject to strict liability:

  • The drug has a manufacturing defect due to improper manufacturing or differences from the manufacturer’s design or specifications that directly caused the consumer’s injuries
  • The drug has a design defect in that it fails to perform as safely as expected and its design benefits do not outweigh the risk of danger
  • The manufacturer failed to clearly and specifically warn consumers about the hidden dangers of a product and/or provide instructions about how to use the product safely

In each of these cases, an injured consumer does not have to prove that a manufacturer was negligent in creating the dangerous drug. The manufacturer can be held liable on the basis that they breached their duty to produce drugs that are free from manufacturing and design defects and to adequately warn consumers about the potential dangers of using the drug. For more information about liablity laws in Garden Grove, consult with a knowledgeable lawyer.

Deadline to File a Products Liability Claims

There are strict time frames or statutes of limitations, that apply to dangerous drugs liability claims. According to California Civ. Pro. Code § 335.1, consumers who sustained injuries due to a dangerous drug must file a products liability suit within two years of discovering that a particular drug caused their injuries. If injury victims fail to meet this deadline, they may be barred from financial recovery. Therefore, it is essential that they reach out to a Garden Grove dangerous drugs lawyer.

Talk to a Garden Grove Dangerous Drugs Attorney

If you suspect that a prescription drug has caused you harm, you should investigate the cause of your injuries or illness. The pain you may be experiencing may be because a manufacturer was negligent, and you could bring a claim for compensation against them.

Although bringing a products liability claim against a big drug manufacturer can seem difficult, as these companies often seem to have limitless litigation resources, contacting a Garden Grove dangerous drugs lawyer today may be in your best interests. An experienced attorney could work toward a positive outcome in your case.