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- What Our Clients Say
“They sent somebody to visit me in the hospital and get my side of the story (totally free). I was assigned Mr. Crawford and told that we had a case. Fast forward about 9 months later and I received literally 14x what the insurance company had offered me. This is after the lawyer and medical fees as well. So basically this was totally free and I barely had to do anything I am so glad I called Marks and Harrison and I will be recommending them to all of my family and friends.”
— Robert Smith
If you or a loved one has been harmed by a defective product or by a manufacturer’s failure to warn you of the risks associated with the product, you may be entitled to compensation for all of your losses.
The product liability lawyers of Marks & Harrison are here to help you. We have extensive experience in this area of the law and a true passion for protecting the rights of patients and consumers in Richmond and throughout Virginia.
Cases We Are Reviewing
Currently, we are reviewing cases involving suspected drug- and cosmetic product-related injuries and deaths, including cases involving:
- Hair Relaxers
- Elmiron
- Talc Powder
- Xarelto
- Benicar
- Bisphosphonates (Boniva and Fosamax)
- Fluoroquinolone Antibiotics (Levaquin, Cipro, Tequin, and Avelox)
- GranuFlo and NaturalLyte Dialysis Products
- Januvia, Janumet, Byetta, and Victoza
- Laparoscopic Power Morcellator
- Lipitor
- Medtronic Infuse Bone Graft
- Metal-on-Metal Hip Implants (DePuy, Zimmer, Biomet, and Wright Medical)
- Mirena IUD
- Propecia and Proscar
- SSRI Antidepressants (Paxil, Celexa, Effexor, Lexapro, Pristiq, Prozac, Zoloft)
- Stryker Rejuvenate, ABG II, and Accolade Hip Implants
- St. Jude Riata Defibrillator Leads
- Tepezza
- Testosterone
- Transvaginal Mesh, Bladder Slings, and TVT Tape
- Viagra
- Zimmer NexGen, Cr-Flex, and Persona Knee Implants
- Zofran
To learn more, call or connect with us online today for a free consultation.
What Can You Do If Harmed by a Defective Drug or Cosmetic Product?
For a long period of time, you or your loved one may have used a drug or cosmetic product that was prescribed or recommended to you. Recently, however, you may have learned that this product was actually harmful to you or your loved one’s health.
You have a right to be angry. You also have a right to take legal action.
If you suspect that you were harmed by a dangerous drug or cosmetic product, you should take the following steps to protect your health and legal rights.
- See a doctor right away. A doctor can advise you on whether it is safe to stop using the drug or to switch to a different medication. A doctor can examine, diagnose and treat you for drug- or cosmetic-related side effects you may be experiencing.
- Report to the FDA. You can help the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to identify the problem and take proper action by filing an adverse event report through the MedWatch
- Keep the product in a safe place. Do not throw away the product or any labeling information. Instead, store it in a place that is out of harm’s way. The product you purchased may later serve as evidence in your case.
- Contact a lawyer. An attorney from Marks & Harrison can review your case, explain your legal options and get to work immediately on pursuing just compensation for you.
You generally have only two years from the date of a product-related injury (or the date you could have reasonably discovered the injury) in which to file a legal claim in Virginia. This is called the statute of limitations. Taking action as soon as possible will help to ensure your claim is timely filed.
Why Should You Pay Attention to Drug and Cosmetic Product Recalls?
It is important to know about drug and cosmetic product recalls for the sake of your health as well as for the sake of bringing a legal claim. The date a product recall begins may start the running of the statute of limitations.
Recalls typically are initiated by the FDA, which is the federal agency that regulates the U.S. drug and cosmetics industries. Problems with a product may be called to the FDA’s attention through:
- Drug sponsor updates
- Adverse event reports
- Studies published in medical journals
- Media reports.
In rare cases, the FDA will order a drug or cosmetic product manufacturer to issue a recall. Typically, the FDA will formally ask the manufacturer to voluntarily recall the product. The agency will then publish information about the recall, including:
- Effective date of the recall
- Recalled lots
- Reasons for the recall
- Steps you should take in reaction to the recall.
On average, at least one “clinically important” drug recall is issued each month in our country, according to the Archives of Internal Medicine.
However, in many cases, thousands of patients and consumers may have been harmed by a product before it is recalled or no recall may be issued at all – despite widespread reports of product-related injuries and illnesses.
Is Xarelto Dangerous?
Xarelto is an example of a pharmaceutical product that has not been recalled despite numerous reports of injuries and deaths that are believed to be related to the blood-thinning medication.
The problem with Xarelto is that users of the drug face the risk of suffering severe and potentially fatal internal bleeding episodes. Bloomberg News reports that, according to consumers, at least 65 deaths in the U.S. have been linked to the drug.
Numerous lawsuits have been filed across the country against the companies behind the drug, Bayer HealthCare and the Johnson & Johnson subsidiary, Janssen Pharmaceuticals.
These lawsuits generally allege that the companies touted the benefits of Xarelto without adequately warning consumers about the excessive bleeding risks associated with it.
Contact Marks & Harrison today to learn more about your legal rights and options if you or a loved one has suffered excessive internal bleeding after taking Xarelto.
Are Talc Products Dangerous?
Numerous studies have identified a link between the use of talc products for feminine hygiene and the development of ovarian cancer. In fact, one study published several years ago found a roughly 30 percent increase in the risk of ovarian cancer “with regular genital exposure to talc.”
Even though talc products have not been recalled, either, lawsuits have been filed throughout the U.S. against the manufacturers and sellers of talc products. In one case, a jury awarded $72 million to the family of a woman who died from ovarian cancer after using Johnson & Johnson talc products for more than 35 years.
During that trial, a Johnson & Johnson internal memo was produced in which a medical consultant compared denying the link between talc and ovarian cancer to tobacco companies denying the link between cigarettes and cancer.
What Are Your Legal Options If Harmed by a Dangerous Drug or Cosmetic Product?
Unfortunately, consumers and patients suffer harm on a regular basis that can be linked to defective pain relievers, antidepressants (SSRIs), anticoagulants, cholesterol-lowering medications, diabetes drugs and other pharmaceutical and cosmetics products.
If you or a loved one has been harmed by a manufacturer’s failure to live up to its duty to manufacture and market products that are safe and effective when used as directed, you owe it to yourself to explore your legal options.
At Marks & Harrison, we can thoroughly investigate your case and review all options available to you.
For instance, we can advise you on whether to file your claim in a state court or in federal court.
We can also advise you on whether it would serve your interests to pursue compensation as a part of a class-action lawsuit or to maintain an individual claim that may be consolidated with similar lawsuits in state court (multi-county litigation, or MCL) or federal court (multidistrict litigation, or MDL).
In many cases, numerous lawsuits are filed by consumers who have suffered similar injuries from the same products. As litigation proceeds, the manufacturers may eventually create a settlement fund to resolve all claims.
Our lawyers at Marks & Harrison can advise on you on whether to participate in such a “global settlement,” and we can help you through the process of filing such a claim. You should never participate in a settlement without seeking advice from a lawyer first.
Get Help Today from our Richmond Dangerous Drug / Cosmetic Product Attorneys
Consumers in Richmond and throughout Virginia can count on the product liability lawyers of Marks & Harrison to stand up for them against the manufacturers of dangerous drugs and cosmetics products. Our goal is protect our clients’ rights and seek the compensation they deserve.
When you are ready to take action, call or reach us online. We can get to work on your case today.
Sources / More Information:
- Drug Recalls, FDA
- The Epidemiology of Drug Recalls in the United States, JAMA Internal Medicine
