What types of injuries are there and how can you help me?
The possible hidden side effects of new drugs or devices are endless. The fact is, when a drug or device has been rushed to market before thorough and adequate testing, we just don’t know what harms drugs and devices can cause until it is often too late.
Recent cases of harmful medications or defective devices have involved injuries and damage such as:
- Heart attacks
- Strokes
- Liver damage
- Kidney failure
- Severe depression and/or suicidal tendencies
- Organ damage
- Severely broken bones
- Diabetes
- Sterility
- Punctured uterus
- Birth defects
- Death
These side effects, on top of the medical problems that prompted you to take the medication or use the device, usually mean you are facing even more medical bills. Illness and injury often results in time away from work. Loss of wages or an inability to continue working altogether can cause serious financial strain. And financial strain affects not only you, but also your entire family. This kind of physical, mental, and financial struggle can be long lasting or even permanent.
If you have been harmed by a prescription medication or a medical device, you could be eligible to recover:
- Reimbursement for bills and medical expenses – if the prescription or device hurt you and caused you to seek even more medical treatment, you could be entitled to money damages to compensate you for those bills
- Pain and suffering – this is a legal term for the compensation available for a victim of a faulty or defective pharmaceutical or medical product who suffers continued physical pain or disability, particularly when the injuries cause permanent impairment
- Mental anguish – often, victims can recover for the emotional strain they feel and that is imposed on family members due to prolonged illness and worry about the future
If a family member has been seriously injured or killed as a result of a faulty device or drug, you may have rights on behalf of your loved one. You may be entitled to recover for:
- Loss of consortium – this is a legal term for the loss of companionship and partnership that someone experiences when a spouse becomes gravely ill or permanently injured
- Wrongful death – this is the legal term for a claim by a person who has lost a family member due to a defective prescription drug or medical device
If the defective drug or device that harmed you or a family member was caused by a pharmaceutical company’s knowing disregard of the risks to your health or with recklessness or carelessness, you may also be eligible for punitive damages.
- Punitive damages can be additional money awarded to a plaintiff by a jury as a punishment to the company or person for their malicious disregard of your well being. Punitive damages are meant to deter such actions in the future – by this party and others. In Missouri, 50% of all punitive damage awards are put into the Missouri Tort Victims’ Compensation Fund, which helps victims of torts who cannot recover from the defendant at fault.
To read more about the Missouri Tort Victims’ Compensation Fund, click here: http://labor.mo.gov/DWC/Tort_Victims/
Recovery for injuries like these requires immediate legal action to start and begin building a case. Identifying the parties at fault is crucial, and this involves a thorough investigation.
At NB&W, we have the means and experience to conduct this kind of investigation and put together the necessary evidence to build a case. We want to hold big companies accountable and make sure they are researching, testing, and marketing their products with the highest degree of care. Contact us today to tell us your story – we will answer your questions for no charge or obligation.
Help us help you start to recover; help us help protect our community from further injury.