Key Highlights:

• Get in touch with an experienced North Carolina dangerous drugs lawyer at Tatum & Atkinson who has more than 65 years of combined trial experience.
• We work on a “no win, no fee” system, meaning that we charge nothing in legal fees unless we win an award for you.
• We can handle cases for individual drug injury plaintiffs as well as difficult Multidistrict Litigation cases involving high-risk prescription drugs.
• Our team will ensure your case complies with all of North Carolina’s legal deadlines.

When taking a prescribed or over-the-counter medication, one usually expects the drug to provide healing and not lead to life-altering side effects or damage to organs. Unfortunately, major pharmaceutical companies do just the opposite. They focus on how quickly to bring a drug to market while raking in billions of dollars and neglecting patient testing.  In such situations, North Carolinians pay the price.

At Tatum & Atkinson Law Firm, our experienced North Carolina dangerous drugs lawyer boasts a cumulative legal experience of 65 years in fighting pharmaceutical companies. If you have suffered from the ill effects of dangerous medications because of flawed design or manufacture, or hidden adverse effects, we will work hard to get you just compensation.

Contact our dangerous drug attorney North Carolina at (800) LAW-0804 for a free case evaluation.

The Staggering Reality of Unsafe Medications in the United States

Even after the initial Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval, there are still hundreds of well-known medications causing complicated issues every year because of quick research and insufficient safety control.

• Millions of Annual Complications: Unexpected adverse drug reactions lead to more than 1.5 million emergency room visits and approximately 500,000 hospitalizations in the United States annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
• Hazards in Over-The-Counter Drugs: Estimates from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) show that over 34.3 million cases of injuries each year are related to malfunctioning consumer products.
• Failure of Voluntary Recalls: Most harmful prescription drugs are not pulled off the market voluntarily by the pharmaceutical companies. In other words, patients and physicians eventually keep taking a dangerous drug for years after it was first reported as unsafe through the FDA MedWatch.
• Profits Over Patient Safety: Drug companies typically want their products placed on the market as soon as possible, sacrificing some important procedures regarding clinical safety control practices just for getting profits from having exclusivity as long as possible.

Drug Injury Information: Side Effects, Mistakes, and Latent Harm

Prior to filing a pharmaceutical case, there needs to be an understanding of how the injury occurred and who will be held accountable for it. However, not all adverse medical results can constitute product liability claims, and it is critical that you identify the source of your injury:

• Difference Between Side Effects and Product Defects: Side effects are risks that have been disclosed and are written on the label of the medicine. In case of product defects, the drug manufacturing company does not disclose the hidden risk, fails to inform the FDA about the trials of the drug, deceives medical professionals, and markets an infected product.
• Medication Errors vs. Drug Lawsuits: When a pharmacist dispenses the wrong medication prescribed to you or when a physician gives you improper doses, it shows symptoms of medical malpractice. However, when the particular drug was designed poorly, was dangerous by nature, or was incorrectly labeled, it is categorized as pharmaceutical product liability.
• Why Injuries Take Months or Years to Appear: There is a long and silent build-up of certain side effects of drugs. Symptoms of certain medical conditions, like organ failure, stomach paralysis (due to GLP-1 medications), or cancer (due to NDMA levels in Zantac), take months to show after taking the medicine.
• Higher Risks for Older Patients: Older patients are normally on a combination of medicines. CDC states that older patients (65 years+) are twice as prone to visiting the emergency room due to drug interactions compared to other younger patients. Vulnerable old age patients are affected by the negligence of drug companies to test drug interactions and give warnings.

Active Pharmaceutical Lawsuits that North Carolina Dangerous Drugs Lawyer Handles

Our harmful prescription drug attorneys actively investigates personal injury claims and pharmaceutical lawsuit North Carolina related to high-risk drugs, unsafe medical devices, and dangerous health products for consumers. Working with an attorney specializing in dangerous prescription drug lawsuits ensures precision in your case.

Weight Loss & Diabetes Medications (GLP-1 Agonists like Ozempic, Wegovy, & Rybelsus)

Patients taking GLP-1 receptor agonists have been reported to suffer from serious gastrointestinal complications, such as gastroparesis, intestinal obstruction, constant vomiting, and life-threatening malnutrition without receiving any proper warnings from manufacturers in advance.

Popular Acid Reflux & Heartburn Relief (Zantac / Ranitidine)

Medications for heartburn that contain ranitidine were found to have unacceptable levels of a substance called N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), which is a well-known carcinogen leading to cancers of the stomach, bladder, liver, and pancreas in people using it for a long time.

Hair Loss & Prostate Treatments (Finasteride / Propecia)

Men taking Finasteride for hair loss or prostate enlargement may have suffered Post-Finasteride Syndrome (PFS), resulting in the experience of long-lasting or permanent damaging sexual dysfunction, deep depression, and lasting cognitive impairment. 

Surgical Implants and Eye Care Solutions (Biocell Implants and EzriCare Tears)

The creation of malfunctioning medical devices, such as textured breast implants, which could be responsible for Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (BIA-ALCL) and bacteria-infected eye drops that cause bacterial infection leading to blindness, is placing more responsibility on the manufacturers of these devices.

The 3 Primary Defects Examined by a North Carolina Product Liability Lawyer

Based on North Carolina’s product liability statute (Chapter 99B N.C.G.S.), it could be said that the manufacturers of prescription drugs are liable for any injury that one incurs as a result of the dangerous nature of the products once they reach the hands of the consumer. Strict liability does not apply in tort cases in North Carolina; therefore, in order to prove liability, one must demonstrate negligence. A qualified North Carolina product liability lawyer will need to prove that all the injuries you have suffered are the result of a defect in the product in this case.

• Design Defects: A serious defect in the chemical formulation and the molecular design of the drug, whereby the product is considered too dangerous even when properly manufactured.
• Manufacturing Defects: Defects that occur during the production, transport, or storage of the drug, such as contamination by harmful chemicals, wrong dosage ratio, or incorrect temperatures.
• Marketing Defects (Failure to Warn): Drug companies do not label their products properly, inform the prescribing doctor about all potential dangers associated with the drug, or promote the drug illegally.

Filing a Defective Drug Claim in NC: Statutes and Deadlines

If you want to win a defective drug claim NC, you need to provide the following four proofs: the drug was used correctly, the drug was defective or had no warnings, you were injured, and the injury is connected with the defect. These matters will be handled by a defective medication lawyer NC for dangerous drugs.

It is extremely necessary that people in North Carolina should know about the critical deadlines specified by the statute. 

• Statute of Limitations: There is a statute of limitations of three years applicable to personal injury lawsuits from the time of the discovery (Section 1-52 of N.C.G.S.). Wrongful death claims can be filed within two years after the death of the person (Section 1-53 of N.C.G.S.).
• Statute of Repose: As per N.C.G.S. § 1-46.1, the state of North Carolina has a 12-year statute of repose in which lawsuits can be filed. It implies that no lawsuit of product liability can be filed within 12 years after the initial purchase or consumption of the product, regardless of when you developed the ailment. 

It is important that you get in touch with Tatum & Atkinson at (800) LAW-0804 immediately for reassurance regarding the safety of your medical information and others.

The Law Process Explained: FDA Warnings, Scientific Evidence, and MDLs

Winning a lawsuit against a pharmaceutical firm is not an easy undertaking, given several factors that exist, including the complex nature of the Federal laws, science, and the defense mechanisms.

• FDA Safety Communications & Recalls: A recall or “Black Box Warning” issued by the FDA will not stop you from filing a lawsuit; your drug recall injury lawyer can use it as important proof of the unsafe or misleadingly labeled product released by the manufacturer. Also, it is worth noting that a legal action can be taken in the absence of any FDA recall.
• Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) vs. Individual Lawsuits: The product liability lawsuits are processed in federal courts by joining similar claims into a multidistrict matter in cases when the defective drug produced harmful consequences across the country. In contrast to class action lawsuits, where the plaintiffs share the funds among themselves, the MDL preserves the individual lawsuits, allowing evaluation of damages caused by the affected person.
• Scientific & Epidemiological Evidence: According to the product liability laws of North Carolina, the successful party in a lawsuit must demonstrate that there was both ‘general causation’ (establishing, by means of clinical studies and epidemiological research, that the drug could cause injury) and ‘specific causation’ (showing that the drug was the cause of the specific diagnosis with help of medical records and expert testimony).

How Much Can You Get in NC for Maximum Damage from a Drug?

When a pharmaceutical company has inflicted injury on you, it is possible to recover your losses fully, as per state laws. Considering the various options available for recovering damages in your drug injury compensation NC would mean that you will not end up undercompensated for your injury, whether financially or in terms of your quality of life.

Total Coverage for Current and Future Medical Care

All expenses related to emergency room care, other hospitalizations, surgeries, medical monitoring equipment, and drugs needed for recovery can be reimbursed.

Loss of Income and Diminished Capability for Future Earnings

If you have suffered an injury because of a pharmaceutical product resulting in a lengthy absence from work, then you will be compensated for loss of income, loss of earnings, and diminished earning capacity.

Non-economic Losses such as Pain and Suffering

Your compensation is not only monetary in nature but will also take into account your physical pain and suffering.

Wrongful Death Damages for Surviving Family Members

If your loved one died because of the defective drug, the representative can claim costs related to funerals, loss of financial support, and emotional loss endured.

What You Need to Know about Deathly Harm from Drugs

Where a dangerous drug leads to organ death, unexpected heart problems, or even instant death, there are North Carolina laws that provide an avenue for prosecuting those irresponsible pharmaceutical companies for the harm caused to you and your family.

Under N.C.G.S. § 28A-18-2, the personal representative (executor or administrator) of the deceased estate may initiate a wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of the surviving beneficiaries. Importantly, North Carolina has a serious two-year statute of limitations for filing wrongful death lawsuits, beginning from the date on which the victim died, which is much less than in other injury cases.

Submitting a wrongful death drug injury case helps the remaining relatives of the deceased person recover economically. 

• End-of-Life Medical Care: Receipts for resuscitating the patient, expenses incurred in emergency rooms, and medical practitioners’ bills before the date of death would be presented.
• Funeral & Burial Expenses: Full compensation would be paid for funeral services and cremation.  
• Loss of Financial Support & Income: Compensation would be allowed for the potential income of the deceased and services rendered.
• Loss of Companionship & Emotional Support: Compensation would be made by taking into account the loss of care, support, and protectio

Reasons Why North Carolina Families Choose Tatum & Atkinson

Against the billion-dollar legal firepower of pharmaceutical companies, one needs a winning legal plan, a network of top-notch experts, and an unwavering dedication to the client. Hiring a dedicated prescription drug injury attorney can give you an advantage in court.

• 65+ Years of Combined Legal Skill: Our attorneys know how to exploit the weaknesses of the complicated defense strategies employed by pharmaceutical companies.
• Zero Upfront Costs (Contingency Guarantee): You won’t be asked to pay for consultations, investigations, or preparation of the case unless we win the case.
• Access to Top Medical & Scientific Experts: We work with the best medical and scientific specialists, which helps us to connect the injuries caused by the drug that you took.
• Relentless Advocacy from Day One: Our attorneys will work tirelessly to ensure that your rights are protected from day one of your case.

Speak with a Trusted Medication Injury Attorney in NC Today

You don’t have to carry the burden of a hazardous drug injury alone.

While pharmaceutical companies center around preserving their profit, our North Carolina dangerous drugs lawyer at Tatum & Atkinson concentrates on protecting you and holding liable corporations responsible for their wrongdoings. 

Start off your path to justice now by contacting an effective medication injury attorney NC. Reach the experts from Tatum & Atkinson by calling (800) LAW-0804 for a free case evaluation.