Drug liability knowledge can be important for both consumers injured by harmful drugs and pharmaceutical companies as well. Pharmaceutical company Pfizer is facing lawsuits from women asserting that the drug Lipitor caused them to develop diabetes and suffer other side effects. Allegations against the pharmaceutical company also include that the company knew about the harmful side effects but did not disclose those side effects to consumers. Over the past several months, the lawsuits for the allegedly harmful drug have increased from 56 to 1,000.
While 1,000 cases have been filed on behalf of 4,000 women, the number is expected to climb to 10,000; additionally, the cases were recently consolidated. Pfizer opposed the consolidation, fearing additional cases might be filed lacking merit. Pfizer denies liability and notes that the cholesterol drug presents risk factors such as obesity and high blood pressure but not type 2 diabetes as the women claim.
While harmful drugs can present risk factors to patients, pharmaceutical companies also face risks, such as pharmaceutical liability class action lawsuits and pharmaceutical liability lawsuits, related to drugs that are costly to develop and produce. To avoid drug liability, pharmaceutical companies are required to warn consumers of all potential side effects but do not have a duty to warn consumers of unknown dangers.
The liability that pharmaceuticals are responsible for in harmful drug circumstances can be complex, as can be injuries that result from harmful drugs. Because of this, it is important that both pharmaceutical companies, and consumers harmed by defective drugs, have a thorough understanding of the legal process associated with drug liability.
