Pharmaceutical Product Liability Suits

[Dogmatique]

There's something I do not understand.

I just watched a commercial by a certain well-known ambulance chas..sorry, med-mal attorney based somewhere in the North East.

They were talking about women who have taken certain birth control drugs who may have suffered from blood clots. That such women may be entitled to compensation.

I'm sorry, but this is a KNOWN possible side-effect and it is mentioned quite clearly in the package inserts.

If someone CHOOSES to take such a drug, knowing that there could be a serious consequence, how then is the drug company responsible?

I can understand if the drug company knows about an issue and doesn't mention it (hello, Fen-Phen!). But if it's a known possibility? Me no understandy.

[souperdave]

Hate to break it to ya D-Gal, but personal responsibility has been sold out for quite some time now.

Nearest I can tell there is no effort to restock that item anytime soon. Or ever!

[aaron]

Often those ads are less about "We have a viable case" and more about "We want to sign up as many possible plaintiffs as possible in case this turns into a case."

The fact that a particular class of medication has known, disclosed health risks does not mean either that the risk is equal for all drugs within that class or that certain drugs don't pose heighten or additional risks that should be disclosed. It may turn out that there's nothing to the allegation, but without knowing the drug or facts I can't rule out the possibility that the medication is much more dangerous than similar drugs in its class.

[Dogmatique]

Sigh. Yes, I know. My background is actually pharmaceuticals (working both "with" and "against" the FDA, if you will - phase III/IVb clinical trials, and later on the class action suit against a certain drug company involving a certain drug). It just bugs the life out of me sometimes.

You can move this to the debate issues aaron, since I rather foolishly put it in the wrong section. Thank you

[aaron]

It's okay for that type of ad to bug you. Those ads are inherently annoying and, as I suggested, many of them involve fishing for clients over allegations that will never be substantiated.

Pretty much every lawyer ad I've seen on TV has bugged me.

[souperdave]

What are you kids doing up so late?

My excuse: It's not a school night.

[aaron]

The best lawyer ads are on late night TV. Seriously - you don't stay up for them?

[Dogmatique]

Oh they have all of the best ones on late at night!

Plus our schedule at home is funky. Mr Doggie works 3-midnight. So we're normally sleeping when all the sensible people are awake and working.

[souperdave]

Uhhhhh, lemmee think on this one for a moment.


No.


But now that ya mention it, I may look out for 'em.

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Actually the late nite 30-minute ads entertain me sometimes......and make me wonder sometimes too.

If there's "stuff" that'll give Dave Jr some added "dimension" then whyfor is there not "stuff" so one doesn't hafta suffer thru P90X?

Things that make me say hmmmm.