Back to Pharmaceutical Liability

If you think a medicine you have been taking has injured you, there are a few steps you should take as soon as possible. One of most important parts of building a successful pharmaceutical liability lawsuit is to sue the right drug company, so save the container the drug came in as well as any information you received with it. Another important step you must take is to consult with a qualified personal injury attorney as each state sets a deadline for starting lawsuits arising from personal injuries. If you do not file a lawsuit on time, you will have no case at all, regardless of your injuries or circumstances. In some states, the time in which you must sue begins on the date you took the medicine as other states, the time may begin from the date you discovered or suspected that the medicine may have caused your injury.

Help Yourself and Your Attorney

One very helpful thing you can do for your attorney and for your case is to prepare a description of your experience with the medicine.

If you were injured by an over-the-counter medication, herbal remedy, or a dietary supplement, consider the following questions:

• What type of injuries or symptoms did you have once you started using the product?
• What medical condition were you hoping to treat with the product?
• What caused you to purchase the product? TV ad? Doctor's Recommendation?
• Why did you think the product would be good for you to take?
• Did you read the safety information that came with the product? If so, did you understand this information?
• Did you keep using the product after you felt symptoms or had injuries? Why or why not?
• Do you still have health problems or injuries even after you stopped using the product?
• Did you talk to a pharmacist about the product? If so, what did they tell you about it? Did they give you any recommendations on taking the product?

If you were injured by a prescription drug, consider the following questions:

• What was the reason for visiting your physician on the day they gave you the prescription?
• What did your doctor tell you about the medication, if anything? Did they explain how to take it and if there were any side effects?
• What did your pharmacist tell you about the drug? Did they instruct you about how it was to be taken?
• What injuries or symptoms did you have when you took the medication? Did you report any of these to your doctor or pharmacist?
• Did you keep using the product after you felt symptoms or had injuries? Why or why not?
• Have you continued to have symptoms or injuries after stopping use of the medication?

Keep Track of Any Damages

Damages are the various ways you have been affected by your injury including monetary loss and pain and suffering. Monetary loss includes money spent on doctor's visits, medications, hospitalization, and any lost wages you have incurred. Physical pain and emotional distress caused by your injury are examples of kinds of non-monetary damages. The law cannot return these things to you, but asks a jury to decide how much these losses are worth and to award you money instead.

Be sure to keep track of all your damages and keep copies of bills and receipts. Keeping a log of your pain and distress will also preserve valuable evidence relating to your damages for your lawsuit.

If you or a loved one were injured through the use of a pharmaceutical product please use the form on the left for a free case review by our law firm.