Damages Awarded in Accutane Lawsuits
There have been quite a few lawsuits brought against the makers of Accutane from people that have stated they had side effects such as Crohn’s Disease and other bowel complications from using the acne treatment medication. Accutane is used to treat severe nodular acne when other medications fail to respond, but the side effects have gotten the product manufacturers to stop making it. The makers of Accutane state it is because of the various generic brands that are coming out which has led to a loss in profit for the drug maker, but the lawsuits seem to be speaking a different language, altogether.
There have been over 1000 reported lawsuits over Accutane, and juries have awarded upwards of $30 million for people suffering these life changing side effects. The FDA responded by adding a warning label to the medication that stated there are reports that the drug could cause severe bowel distress and birth defects. Although they made an effort to warn people, the makers of Accutane seemed unchanged in their decision to keep producing. There are even some people that believe the drug makers knew well in advance that there were chances that these side effects could hurt people and change their lives forever. Most believe that the $1.2 billion annual profit on the acne medication was more important to the pharmaceutical company than the health of the people taking it.
There are many debates on whether or not the makers of Accutane knew of the side effect possibilities before they went into production. What IS clear is that the lawsuits show there was some kind of neglect on the part of the makers of Accutane. This can be seen in the multi-million dollar lawsuits won by people that were unfortunate enough to use Accutane.
If you, or anyone you know, has suffered a medical condition that you suspect Accutane played a part in, you should contact a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible to see if there is anything they can do for you.
Even though it was pulled in 2009, there are still lawsuits pending.