In recent years, problems with prescription and over-the-counter drugs and medical devices have been in the news frequently. New medical treatments can save lives -- but when they are not sufficiently tested and patients are not warned, they can also take lives. In the past decade, we have seen multiple recalls of pharmaceuticals and devices that substantially raise patients’ risk of life-threatening health events like heart attacks; injuries; chronic and incurable illnesses; and even death. In some cases, independent scientists or news reports even turn up evidence that the manufacturer knew about the risk, but minimized it or covered it up. Our West Palm Beach dangerous drug attorneys are proud to help clients expose these dangers and collect compensation for their injuries.

One of the main jobs of the federal Food and Drug Administration is to ensure that drugs and devices don’t reach the market without thorough testing and adequate warnings about their risks. However, the FDA has a lot to do, and manufacturers have a financial incentive to get their products to market as quickly as possible. Because drug development can take many years and cost millions of dollars, pharmaceutical companies are extremely concerned about turning a profit with new drugs. This can lead to off-label marketing, improper “fast tracking” to FDA approval, cover-ups and the use of bad science to give doctors and patients a false sense of security. Many drug and medical device manufacturers simply fund their own studies that deny risks found by independent researchers. These practices cynically put profits ahead of patient safety, sometimes with tragic results.

Some of the most famous drugs linked to death, serious illness or birth defects in recent years include:

• Vioxx
• Avandia
• Meridia
• Prempro/Premarin
• Bextra
• Celebrex
• Baycol
• Accutane
• Ortho Evra Patch
• Nuva Ring
• Ultram
• Trasylol

Like all manufacturers, makers of medications and medical devices have a legal obligation to make sure their products are safe. That’s particularly important with medical products, because patients frequently don’t have the ability to do independent research. Most people simply trust that their doctors would never prescribe something harmful. In fact, doctors are also frequently misled by pharmaceutical companies and medical device manufacturers. It’s only after patients begin reporting unusually high numbers of deaths or adverse reactions that the FDA and others can warn doctors and patients. By that time, millions of people in the United States alone may already have taken a popular drug. If even a small fraction of them develop dangerous side effects, many hundreds may still end up with permanent, life-altering consequences from using something they thought would help them.

Balliro helps patients and their families hold manufacturers responsible for marketing unsafe drugs and medical devices to a trusting public. Our Fort Lauderdale pharmaceutical injury lawyers always seek to get our clients the fullest possible financial recovery for their injuries. All of our partners are trial attorneys with a decade of experience. We understand how to make our case in a court of law, even when we’re pitted against a team of well-paid pharmaceutical lawyers. Partner Sebastian Balliro is a former medical researcher and drug company employee who holds a master’s degree in molecular biology, so you can rest assured that we can handle the science as well as the legal aspects of a claim. Our Miami defective drug attorneys handle both individual cases and class actions by groups of patients who have suffered similar injuries from the same drug.

If you or someone you love was hurt by a drug or medical device that was supposed to help, you should call Balliro to learn more about your legal options. To set up a free, confidential evaluation of your case, please contact us through our Web site or call 1-866-INJURED toll-free from anywhere in Florida.