Tag: medicinal drugs
Sterility problems and compensation actions
Anyone who has been adversely affected by sterility problems could be entitled to pursue a claim for personal injury compensation on a No Win, No Fee basis.
As a firm of specialist Group Action Lawyers, we have represented many victims for issues concerning the sterility of equipment and devices, and there have been plenty of regulatory recalls over the years where this has been the issue.
A single event or a prolonged problem where an issue over sterility occurs could lead to thousands of people being put at risk. Anyone who has ever suffered harm in this way could be entitled to pursue a claim for damages.
Compensation for medicine recalls
You can be entitled to claim compensation for medicine recalls if you have suffered some form of harm or injury arising from an issue with medicines that you have taken.
If something has gone wrong and the fault lies with the manufacturer, seller, or even someone administering medicine, you could be entitled to pursue a legal case. We can offer No Win, No Fee legal representation, and you can speak to the team here for free, no-obligation advice.
Commissioner to champion people harmed by medicines or medical devices
In a huge win for anyone harmed by medicines or medical devices, the government has agreed to the appointment of an Independent Patients’ Commissioner. Their role will be to stand up for people who have fallen victim to the dangerous side-effects of certain medical products.
At The Group Action Lawyers, we have been raising the unheard voices of suffering patients for many years, taking on many clients in large group and multi-party actions against powerful medical companies and manufacturers. As such, we welcome the news of this new public service, which represents a significant step in the right direction for patients and overall safety.
Rise in anti-depressants prescriptions for children
The reported rise of anti-depressants prescriptions for children could be a cause for concern, particularly when the use of anti-depressants is not generally recommended by the NHS for under 18’s.
Recent figures reportedly show over 1,500 children under the age of 5 were prescribed anti-depressants, with the numbers reaching over 91,000 for 16-year olds.
Any recent reported rise in anti-depressants prescriptions for children could be partially attributed to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in March. Many people, children included, have struggled to receive professional mental health services as the waiting times are so long. With the NHS staff under further pressure to cope during the pandemic, many surgeries and treatments have seen pauses and delays as resources are directed elsewhere.
Drugs recall compensation claims advice
Drugs recall compensation claims can form into group and multi-party actions when users have suffered as a result of a problem with the manufacturers or the suppliers.
The impact for the victims in these kinds of cases can, of course, be severe; especially if the drugs being recalled are for serious or even life-threatening conditions. Even the fact that there is a recall can be worrying for the patients who are told to stop taking their medication and seek replacements.
When these kinds of recalls happen, they can lead to group action compensation claims if the impact on the victims is severe enough. Groups could range from just a small number of victims who were unlucky enough to be affected, to thousands of people who may have suffered.
Patient information leaflet errors
Patient information leaflet errors can, in the worst-case scenarios, cause severe problems for those who have used the wrong medication or used meds incorrectly due to the error.
When these scenarios happen, a recall will usually be launched and announced via the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Information about the recall will normally be distributed so that patients can be made aware, but this won’t always stop an adverse incident from occurring.
With this in mind, here’s a little advice about what to do if you have suffered harm as a result of following the incorrect information for medication or a product in general.
Xarelto compensation settlements
Big news! Xarelto compensation settlements are taking place, with almost £600m in damages set to be paid out by Bayer AG and Johnson & Johnson.
The settlements are for around 25,000 lawsuits in the U.S., where Bayer and J&J have reportedly agreed to settle the litigation for $775m. The Group Action Lawyers continue to fight for justice for UK victims who are suffering side-effects of taking the drug, that’s also known as Rivaroxaban. You can read more about the UK action here.
While the companies maintain that the claims are without merit, and the settlement is made without an admission of liability, this is a huge result. The two companies are set to be sharing the burden of the cost as they jointly-developed the drug.
Valsartan recall widens
The Valsartan recall widened last month following updated advice from the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Authority (MHRA).
Batches of products containing Valsartan that were supplied by Teva UK Ltd and Mylan are being recalled in the UK. This follows on from a drug alert earlier this year that was issued after the discovery that some Valsartan products were contaminated. Legal cases are already underway, and this latest recall involves further batches of the product.
An immediate suspension and quarantine of the additional affected products has been ordered.
Were you affected by the cough syrup mould recall?
Were you affected by the cough syrup mould issues that came to light over summer? In the midst of the season for colds and coughs, you may want to take heed of this warning if you’re not aware of it already.
Over summer, a formal recall was issued with the UK’s medicines regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. This was a Class 2 Medicines recall for own-brand glycerine and blackcurrant cough syrup products manufactured for children by Bell, Sons & Co.
As these are marketed as own-brand products, it’s the likes of Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Tesco at the centre of this recall.
Dangerous vitamin and mineral supplements
Are vitamin and mineral supplements pointless and potentially dangerous? Some experts think they are. What does this mean for users?
An American study claims that some vitamin and mineral supplements don’t provide for any health benefits to the user at all. Worse still, their research also suggested that some may actually increase the risks of death. Some may also be problematic for people with particular conditions, like diabetes.
In an age where health and beauty are important, are being people ripped off? Are some people even being put in danger?
Risperdal compensation deal agreed ahead of trial
A Risperdal compensation deal has been agreed ahead of a trial. This is said to be one of many potentially multi-million-pound settlements over the drug.
Some users who have been taking Risperdal medication have suffered severe side-effects. The use of the drug has also been involved in off-label marketing; i.e. using the drug for alternative reasons than what regulators have approved the drug for.
Off-label marketing can be a real problem for consumers. When pharmaceutical giants see slow sales in particular products, they can be tempted to repackage them and sell them for different uses. Sometimes this isn’t a bad thing, but when the drug isn’t approved for certain uses, and where certain side-effects are prominent in off-label uses, people can suffer.
A troubling testimony in the Gosport War Memorial Hospital deaths
A troubling testimony in the Gosport War Memorial Hospital deaths has been recounted in the recent independent inquiry that deemed some 450 deaths at the hospital were linked to an unsafe opioid-use policy.
Families who have been fighting for an inquiry for years have finally received the news that they say they knew all along: that their loved-ones died in the hospital prematurely.
At the centre of the Gosport War Memorial Hospital deaths scandal is Dr Jane Barton; the GP stationed there who claims that she was only ever doing the best for her patients. One particularly troubling testimony from 2001 that was recounted in the independent report paints a different story entirely.