high-tech medical devices and high-potency prescription drugs are often resorted to by consumers when facing a serious medical condition and/or disability, and most of the time - these products work as intended and help improve the quality of our lives.
But the sad fact is that there are also many, many instances of individuals suffering extreme, debilitating, and even irreversible side effects when using certain popular drugs and medical devices. Although high-risk products - or any medical product or procedure, can't be expected to "guarantee" automatic cures and 100% never fail; there are many common such drugs and devices that fail because they were defectively manufactured or are inherently dangerous to begin with.
If you have suffered injury from a defective device or dangerous drug, you do not have to simply suffer the physical and financial consequences alone. You may qualify to join a class action lawsuit or file another type of lawsuit to collect full compensation for your losses, as well as punitive damages.
Consumer Alert Now exists to alert the public to the dangers of particular medical products that often become the occasion of a lawsuit. We help you understand what these products are supposed to do, how they sometimes injure patients instead, and what options you have if you or your loved one have suffered from such an injury.
Examples of High-risk Drugs & Medical Devices
almost any drug or medical device carries with it a degree of risk and the possibility of causing harm instead of good due to defective design or manufacturing mistakes. But to give you an idea of what we do at Consumer Alert Now, here are some of the most common defective devices and dangerous drugs that have become involved in national class action lawsuits:
Talcum powder
Talc present in baby powder, body powder, and various make up products has often been associated with mesothelioma, when contaminated with asbestos, and with ovarian cancer, when used in the vaginal region.
Hip or Knee replacements
Full or partial hip replacement devices serve many well by increasing their mobility following a hip fracture, inflammation, or other hip problem. But they can also fail or cause diseases like metallosis or osteolysis. Knee replacement surgery can alleviate arthritis, "bone death," or severely compromised joints, but they have also been known to loosen when defectively built or wrongly placed.
Mesh implants
Hernia meshes help prevent recurrence of a hernia by reinforcing damaged tissue, but many of them have been recalled in the past due after causing complications like infection, extreme pain, and recurrence of the hernia after device failure. Transvaginal meshes are very high-risk, but sometimes used to correct urinary incontinence - however, tissue erosion and organ perforation have all too often resulted.
Fluoroquinolone antiobiotics
Drugs such as Cipro, Levaquin, and Avelox are some of the strongest on the market for combating serious infections, but they are also among the most dangerous. Tendon and nerve damage can sometimes occur as a side effect, and the effects may not be reversible.
Abilify
Abilify is often prescribed to mental health patients as an antipsychotic drug to treat such conditions as schizophrenia or chronic depression. But studies show it can lead to thoughts of suicide, involuntary bodily movement, gambling, weight-gain, and other bizarre effects in some patients.
Essure birth control
Now recalled, Essure is a permanent non-surgical birth control method that works by inserting a metal-polyester device into the fallopian tubes. It was over 99% effective in preventing pregnancy, but many women have reported serious side effects like autoimmune disorders, bleeding, pelvic pain, or hair loss.
About Your Rights & Joining a Class Action Lawsuit
consumer Alert Now is here to help you understand your rights and how to join a class action lawsuit if you were hurt by a defective medical device or consumer drug. We also give you detailed information on various specific devices and drugs and note how they are supposed to work and the benefits that many, in fact, have received from some of them.
Although warning labels advertising inherent risks or misuse of drugs/devices by end-users can account for some of the many injuries that occur, the fact is, when an injury is caused due to negligence of any kind on the part of manufacturers, you have the right to full and fair compensation for economic losses like medical bills and loss of income and for pain and suffering and/or punitive damages.
But since many have been hurt by the same devices and drugs, it's not necessary for each litigant to "go it alone." By contacting an experienced tort lawyer already handling a class action suit file jointly by large numbers of people suffering similar harm from the same product - you can stand a better chance of winning your case.
A class action suit begins when one or more "lead plaintiffs" file the suit and then opt to request the court certify the case as a class action suit. For this to happen, a sufficient number of people must have been suffered similar injuries from the same product and the lead plaintiff must be representative of the class as a whole - and willing to be fair in how any compensation would be distributed.
Notice of a class action suit, if it is approved by the presiding judge, will be given by direct mail and through radio, TV, Internet, and other media. Anyone affected in a way similar to the lead plaintiff is automatically included in the case and settlement unless they choose to opt out. The decisions of the case/settlement are managed by the lead plaintiff and his/her lawyers, however. If the suit is won, the court determines how much each affected person will be given and how the process works for dividing the settlement funds.
Our Vision at Consumer Alert Now
not knowing about the fact that many others have suffered in a way similar to yourself of your loved one from the same defective or dangerous medical products - and not realizing that a class action case is underway or has already been won in that regard, often prevents people from receiving their rightful compensation.
Also, many choose certain high-risk drugs or medical devices without fully realizing the nature, number, or severity of the risks. And warning labels and even physician warnings are not always sufficient for a fully informed decision to be made.
Consumer Alert Now helps to remedy these two problems. We bring you the full, unbiased information on the potential good and the potential harm a medical product can do. We alert you to those products that are simply too dangerous to trust and give you the big picture on drugs and devices that may be worth the risk for some situations but not for all. We also make sure you have quick access to legal help and the ability to join existing class action lawsuits.
