If you’re thinking of filing a lawsuit against your doctor for injuries caused by antidepressant drug abuse, you’re probably not alone. In the past twenty years, the number of antidepressant lawsuits submitted by plaintiffs who have suffered serious and sometimes life-threatening side effects from such drugs has significantly increased.
Currently, one out of every eight Americans taking antidepressant medication has been diagnosed with an antidepressant-related side effect. Many antidepressant lawsuit settlements are on the high end, with victims receiving financial compensation that can run into tens of thousands of dollars. Here is what you need to know if you’re planning to file a lawsuit on your own behalf.
Antidepressant Lawsuits
As you’ll recall, there are two classifications of antidepressant medications: tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). TCA antidepressants include brand names like Elavil, Norpramin, Prozac, Zoloft, and Paxil; while MAOIs are made by GlaxoSmithKline, Glucophage, Prozac, and Celexa. Based on these classifications, there are two additional subtypes of antidepressants commonly included in antidepressant lawsuits: Parnate and Nardil.
A Panchack analysis, or non-observed condition, is a known or unknown cause of injury or death that occurs solely as a result of the exposure to a prescription drug.
In a Panchack analysis, one or more known or unknown side effects are considered. An example of a Panchack case might be that of a pregnant woman who was exposed to chlorpamidate during a prenatal development phase while she was exposed to another drug, phenytoin. The fetus of the woman subsequently exhibited birth defects, which have been widely publicized. This case demonstrated the dangers of exposing unborn fetuses to a drug that has the potential to cause congenital birth defects.
An antidepressant lawsuit involves an unexpected, but well-known side effect from the use of a prescribed medication.
Suicidal thoughts and/or attempts at suicide death are among the most well-known side effects of using most commonly prescribed antidepressants. A recent study by the National Institute of Mental Health has brought to light a possible reason for this increase in reported suicide death cases: the risk of suicide death is greater for persons receiving SSRI medications than for those using other classes of medications.
Thus, antidepressants with serotonergic properties could be causing a spike in suicides among individuals who are receiving such drugs in high doses. Such findings have generated much discussion in recent months as this drug class continues to be the second most prescribed medication in the United States.
An interesting case involving the prescribing of a non-depressant drug and a potential Panchack case was recently settled in a court of appeals in California.
A man who was experiencing difficulty in achieving an erection had noticed that he was no longer able to achieve an erection when he took his regular dosage of Paxil. When he discussed the symptoms with his doctor, he was advised that he should stop taking the drug and that Paxil was likely causing his inability to achieve erection.
He claimed that he could not find any other explanation for the symptoms other than the fact that the drug had suddenly caused his problem. The trial court granted the manufacturer of Paxil, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, a new trial date after which the case was continued until a verdict had been reached in the plaintiff’s favor.
In light of these findings, it is clear that antidepressant medication can have side effects, and it is important to understand whether these actions can constitute a Panchack or Class Action Lawsuit.
Based on our experience, filing a Panchack or Class Action lawsuit against your drug manufacturer or supplier is likely to be the best course of action in determining the validity of your lawsuit.
If you have suffered or currently suffer from any of the symptoms described above, you may be able to file a complaint against the company that manufactured the drug that is responsible for these symptoms. Our attorneys are experienced in these types of cases and know how to move forward in pursuing your claim.
