Practice Areas

Drug Recalls

The personal injury lawyers at Brett & Coats, PLLC represent people injured by defective drugs who seek prompt, fair and just compensation for their injuries.

We practice throughout Washington State and have offices in Bellingham, Seattle, Spokane, and Tacoma.

Millions of Americans use prescription and over-the-counter medications for various ailments, diseases and medical conditions. In most instances, those drugs prove to be beneficial in restoring their health and prolonging their lives.

But that is not always the case – especially when drug manufacturers release defective drugs into the marketplace. It happens all too often. Tainted batches of the blood-thinner Heparin were recently recalled after being linked to dozens of U.S. deaths. The heart drug Digitek was recently recalled after the manufacturer disclosed that tablets may have been released with toxic levels of Digitalis, the medication’s active ingredient.

Defective drugs are all too common and can cause harmful, sometimes deadly side effects, including: birth defects; heart attacks; heart palpitations; liver failure; kidney failure; memory loss; and strokes. Sometimes, drug defects result from negligence by the manufacturer. In other instances, a drug’s dangers surface only after hundreds or thousands of consumers are harmed by newly recognized side effects.

The Food and Drug Administration, which regulates drugs in the U.S. marketplace, is responsible for ensuring the safety of the public. In situations where a drug presents an unreasonable risk of substantial harm, the FDA may issue a safety alert. In the most serious cases, the FDA may initiate a recall that removes a drug from the market.

There are three levels of recalls based on the relative health risk:

• Class I recalls are issued on drugs that have a reasonable probability of causing serious injury or death.
• Class II recalls are issued on drugs that have a chance of causing a temporary health problem or that pose only a slight threat of a serious nature.
• Class III recalls are issued on drugs that are unlikely to cause any adverse health consequence but that violate FDA labeling or manufacturing regulations.

Besides the drugs mentioned above, warnings or recalls have also been issued for these widely prescribed drugs:

• Anti-anxiety drugs such as Paxil
• Anti-diabetic drugs such as Rezulin
• Anti-psychotic drugs such as Zyprexa
• Birth control patches such as Ortho Evra
• Children’s ADHD drugs such as Ritalin
• Cholesterol lowering drugs such as Baycol
• Heart surgery drugs such as Trasylol
• Pain relievers such as Bextra, Celebrex and Vioxx
• Weight-loss drugs such as Fen-Phen

Unfortunately, most recalls do not occur until after countless patients have taken the defective drug. It is often the case that neither the patient nor the patient’s doctor knows the full extent of the drug’s dangers. In such situations, the drug manufacturer can be held responsible for any injuries caused by the defective drug because manufacturers must exercise reasonable care in the design and manufacture of their products. Responsibility also falls on manufacturers that insist on keeping their products on the market even after receiving reports that the drug may be harming consumers.

If you’ve been harmed by a defective drug, the attorneys of Brett & Coats can offer you legal advice about your experience. We have the willingness, resources and determination to take on the drug manufacturers and their lawyers.

For a free consultation, contact us today online or by calling us toll free at 1-800-925-1875.