Pharmaceutical Litigation Attorney
Medical Malpractice | Defective Drug Product Liability
Do I Have a Case? If you suffered a severe adverse drug reaction or other injury caused by a prescription drug, nutritional supplement, or over-the-counter medication, our lawyer can give you an honest assessment of your claim. Contact us online or call (800)-296-7983 for a free case evaluation.
Brooks Law Firm has engaged in individual lawsuits and multi-district litigation against doctors, health care providers, and drug manufacturers for injuries, illness and death caused by unsafe pharmaceuticals. Savannah defective drug lawyer Eugene C. Brooks has represented clients throughout Coastal Georgia and statewide. He is a Certified Trial Specialist who can put 25 years of effective trial advocacy to your legal advantage.
Mr. Brooks has obtained notable jury verdicts and settlements in both categories of pharmaceutical cases:
- Medical malpractice — Before prescribing or administering drugs, doctors, pharmacists, and hospital staff must check for drug allergies, harmful interactions with other medications, or medical conditions that would make use of the drug dangerous. Physicians are also accountable for injury from "off-label" uses, prescribing the wrong medication, giving a harmful dosage, or failing to fully inform patients of possible side effects. In recent but unrelated cases, Mr. Brooks obtained a verdict of $1 million in Cherokee County, Georgia and a settlement of nearly $1 million in Guilford County, North Carolina, both for fatal overdoses of the drug Methadone.
- Product liability — Pharmaceutical products must undergo rigorous testing and clinical trials before being put on the market. Manufacturers of defective drugs can be held liable for damages for ignoring serious health risks, failing to test medications, and failing to warn doctors and the public of harmful side effects. Mr. Brooks has negotiated two substantial settlements for heart damage from diet drugs, and one for paralysis caused by an antibiotic which has since been taken off the market.
Female Hormone Replace Therapy
A comprehensive study on female hormone replacement therapy was halted in 2005 when the initial findings of the study showed women suffered significant health risks, such as breast cancer, from these post-menopausal drugs. These widely prescribed drugs were intended to alleviate symptoms of reduced estrogen after menopause. But a recent study involving 16,000 women was cut short when early results showed these hormone replacement medications were associated with double-digit increases in the risk for breast cancer, heart attacks, stroke, deep-vein thrombosis and other serious and potentially fatal side effects. Contact Brooks Law Firm if you or a family member has been taking any of the following female hormone therapies: Prempro, Provera, Premarin, Estratest, Prefest, or M.P.A.
Zetia and Vytorin
Zetia is a cholesterol lowering drug. It is often prescribed with a statin, another type of cholesterol lowering drug. Some of the statins are Lipitor, Crestor and Zocor. Vytorin is the combination of Zetia and Zocor.
In December of 2007, the news media reported that the drug companies had performed long lerrn Zetia tests showing excessive liver Injury, but had not released these reports to medical doctors. Medical literature has reported patients who developed hepititis after taking Zetia, and one of the patients died. Other countries in which Zetia is marketed require stronger warnings than the warnings approved by the FDA.
Excessive liver diseases include hepatitis. Hepatitis is a serious condition that can lead to liver transplant, permanent disability and death. A patient can also recover from hepatitis.
Pancreatitis may also be associated with Zetia.
Read more from the New York Times.
Print and mail this form to report adverse drug events to the FDA.
Opiates and Painkillers
Many medications prescribed for pain have turned out to be dangerously addictive and potentially deadly. Derivatives of opium, these powerful painkilling medications can lead to addiction caused by permanent changes in the brain. The drugs have also caused respiratory depression which can cause death and permanent changes in the brain when they are improperly prescribed. Contact our medical malpractice law firm if you believe you may have a personal injury claim regarding: Oxycontin, Methadone, Fentanyl, Oxycodone, Hydrocodone, Morphine, Percocet, or Lortab.
Anti-Depressants
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRI, are commonly prescribed for depression. However, many of these anti-depressant drugs, such as Paxil and Prozac, have been associated with increased depression in children and adolescents and now carry a "black box warning" by the FDA. If you believe you were harmed by an SSRI prescription or are currently taking one of these prescription medications, contact our defective drug litigation attorney today.
Liver Injuries from Painkillers
Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is widely prescribed and often used as an ingredient in other prescription and over-the-counter drugs. When taken in excessive doses or for extended periods, however, it can cause extensive and irreversible liver damage. According to the American Liver Foundation, 35 percent of cases involving liver failure are caused by acetaminophen poisoning. Overdose of this commonly prescribed painkiller results in more calls to poison control centers in the U.S. than any other pharmacological substance. Contact Brooks Law Firm if you suspect liver or kidney damage from use of acetaminophen and its derivatives, or from a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, etc.).
Trasylol (Aprotinin Injection)
Bayer Pharmaceutical Co. has admitted that it did not disclose adverse events found in a clinical trial to the FDA. The clinical trial study had found that Trasylol (Aprotinin Injection) doubles the risk of kidney failure and stroke in heart surgery patients. Trasylol has been used in approximately 250,000 patients annually since 1993.
The failure to disclose was not known until 2006, when additional warnings were required by the FDA. Trasylol is used to limit blood loss during surgery. However, there are other less expensive alternatives which do just as well. As of last year, Bayer was reporting Trasylol had a market potential of $615 million.
If you experienced kidney failure, stroke or heart attack after undergoing heart surgery, then you should investigate whether Trasylol was used during the procedure. Your medical records will report what drugs were administered to you during the surgery.
Free Case Evaluation: (800)-296-7983
Tort reform has made it harder for victims to collect compensation for injuries caused by dangerous drugs. It is, however, still possible to recover compensation from drug companies, doctors, and medical professionals for drug-related injuries and deaths. Contact Brooks Law Firm to discuss your possible defective drug or medical malpractice claim with a proven trial lawyer. Mr. Brooks will personally review your case and give you an honest assessment.
