With the passage of the Prescription Drug User Fee Act, the FDA streamlined and expedited the process for a drug to receive federal government approval and become available on the market. As drugs receive approval within shorter and shorter periods of time, both the drug company manufacturers and the government officials charged with protecting consumers have less time to fully understand the side effects that taking these drugs can cause. Further, rules against advertising prescription drugs have been relaxed to the point that Americans are bombarded on a daily basis with the miraculous promises of new drugs. No doubt, this advertising is helping the profits of pharmaceutical manufacturers to soar. At the same time though, less government oversight and regulation endangers public health and safety. Recent years have seen a growing number of dangerous drugs such as Vioxx, Bextra, Celebrex, Crestor, and Zocor, being prescribed to millions of Americans and inflicting terrible injuries on those who use them.
Troy King, former Alabama Attorney General, is not new to the battle against the drug companies:
“As Attorney General, I saw what the drug companies were capable of doing. When I discovered that they had stolen hundreds of millions of dollars from the Alabama Medicaid agency, an agency that provides medicines and treatments to Alabama’s most vulnerable populations – its children, its seniors, and its disabled – I never flinched. Instead, I filed suit against 76 different drug manufacturers and, despite great criticism, worked hard to hold those responsible accountable. During my time as Attorney General we recovered $123,000,000 on the behalf of Alabama’s government and citizens in settlements and obtained jury verdicts in excess of $352,000,000. It just goes to prove that, just because you are bigger and richer than everybody else, doesn’t mean you have the right to hurt and steal from those who are less powerful than you. I’m proud of the work that we did and the record that we built of going after drug companies when they didn’t follow the law.”
In addition to dangerous drugs, medical supply companies continue to develop new medical devices. Sometimes these devices are flawed in their design and inflict more injury and harm on those who receive and use them than existed before that use began. Other times, a single device may develop a defect during the manufacturing process that causes harm or injury to the end-user. Either way, people seeking medical treatment have every right to expect that the medicines and medical devices they receive from a doctor who they trust will improve their quality of life, not worsen it.
If you or someone you love has taken a drug that was later proven to be dangerous or if you have been injured because of taking a drug or because of a defect in a medical device, you need a lawyer who is not afraid to stand up to the huge drug companies and to hold them responsible for the harm cause by their defective products. The lawyers at King & Nix have a proven record of doing just that. If you have been injured or harmed by drug or medical device, call an attorney at King & Nix for a free case evaluation. You may reach them by calling our toll-free number, (855) 335 – 8769, or click here to complete a free case evaluation form.
