Every year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) receives millions of reports through its Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) detailing negative reactions to both prescription and over-the-counter medications. When a medication meant to improve your health ends up causing serious and unexpected harm, it can undermine your health, disrupt your daily life, and shake your trust in the care you received.
The attorneys at Ferrer Poirot Feller recognize the toll these injuries take. If you have suffered because of a dangerous or defective medication, our firm is here to help you understand your legal rights and explore your options for pursuing a claim against the manufacturer.
Based in Dallas, Texas, we represent clients nationwide who have been affected by unsafe drugs. The team at Ferrer Poirot Feller is dedicated to seeking justice for individuals and families harmed by pharmaceutical negligence. Call us today at (888) 485-8844 to schedule a free and confidential consultation.
Nationwide Drug Injury Lawyers Handling Dangerous Drug Lawsuits
Taking on a multi-billion-dollar pharmaceutical corporation requires a law firm with the resources, experience, and dedication to handle complex litigation on a national scale. Since 1981, Ferrer Poirot Feller has represented clients nationwide who have suffered harm from unsafe medications. We combine our understanding of the science behind drug-related injuries with our experience in federal pharmaceutical regulations to advocate strongly for our clients.
We begin by speaking with you in a private consultation to better understand what happened. We take the time to understand which medication you used, the injuries you’ve suffered, and the ways your life has been affected.
After your consultation, our team begins a detailed investigation into your case. We gather and review your medical records, examine the drug’s approval history, and use the legal discovery process to obtain internal documents from the manufacturer.
We collect your full medical history to create a timeline that shows how the drug affected your health over time. Our team also works with a trusted network of independent medical experts, pharmacologists, and toxicologists who can provide authoritative opinions on how the medication may have caused your condition.
With our No Fee Guarantee, you can pursue your legal claim without paying anything upfront. We cover all costs associated with the investigation, expert consultations, and court filings. You only owe attorney’s fees if we secure compensation on your behalf. This approach ensures you receive skilled legal representation while you focus on your recovery and well-being.
Understanding Drug Injury Claims and Your Legal Rights
A drug injury claim is a legal case filed by a person who has been harmed by a prescription or over-the-counter medication. These cases are handled under product liability law, which holds drug manufacturers legally responsible for releasing unsafe products into the marketplace.
A drug injury lawsuit is different from a medical malpractice claim. In a malpractice case, the focus is on a healthcare provider’s mistake, such as prescribing the wrong medication. In a drug injury case, the focus is on the drug itself. The claim argues that the medication was defective in a way that made it unreasonably dangerous to use.
How a Drug Injury Lawyer Proves a Defective Medication Claim
For a drug injury claim to succeed, your drug injury lawyers must show that the medication was defective. Product liability law generally recognizes three types of drug defects:
Design Defects in Prescription and Over-the-Counter Drugs
A design defect is a problem with the drug’s formula or chemical structure. Even if the drug is made and prescribed correctly, the design itself may be unsafe. These claims argue that the risks of the drug outweigh its benefits and that a safer design could have been used instead.
Manufacturing Defects During Drug Production
Manufacturing defects occur when a mistake is made during the production or packaging of the drug. The formula may be safe, but errors such as contamination, incorrect dosages, or faulty labeling can make certain batches of the drug harmful to patients.
Failure to Warn Claims in Drug Injury Lawsuits
A marketing defect, often called a failure to warn, occurs when a drug company fails to provide adequate information about known risks or side effects. In these cases, the claim is that the manufacturer knew or should have known about a potential danger but did not properly inform doctors and patients.
Among the different types of drug defects, failure to warn is the most common basis for a drug injury lawsuit. Your legal team will conduct a detailed investigation to determine which type of defect is involved in your case. Identifying the specific defect plays a key role in building a strong legal strategy tailored to your situation.
Holding Pharmaceutical Companies Accountable for Inadequate Warnings
Drug manufacturers are responsible for thoroughly researching their products, tracking side effects after the drugs reach the market, and updating warning labels when new safety concerns arise. They have both a legal and ethical obligation to keep their medications reasonably safe and to provide clear information about any known risks.
When a company discovers that its drug is linked to a serious side effect but chooses to hide that information or downplay it, patients are put at risk. A failure-to-warn claim argues that better warnings could have helped doctors prescribe more safely and given patients a chance to make more informed decisions about their health.
While the law does not require medications to be entirely free of risk, it does require drug manufacturers to clearly disclose any known dangers. When companies fail to provide this information, injured patients have the right to pursue legal action and seek accountability.
Medications Commonly Named in Dangerous Drug Lawsuits
Many widely prescribed medications have been linked to serious and unexpected side effects, leading to lawsuits filed by injured patients across the country. Our firm continually monitors reports from medical journals and the FDA’s MedWatch program to identify dangerous drug trends. Some of the medications currently involved in litigation include:
- Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro: These popular diabetes and weight-loss drugs (GLP-1 receptor agonists) have been linked to severe gastrointestinal issues like gastroparesis (stomach paralysis), ileus, and bowel obstruction. Lawsuits allege the manufacturers failed to adequately warn of these risks.
- Tylenol (Acetaminophen): Recent studies have suggested a link between the use of acetaminophen during pregnancy and an increased risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children. Lawsuits have been filed against manufacturers and retailers for failing to warn pregnant consumers of this potential risk.
- Tepezza: An injectable medication used to treat Thyroid Eye Disease (TED), Tepezza has been linked to cases of severe and permanent hearing loss and tinnitus (ringing in the ears). Plaintiffs claim the manufacturer failed to warn of these otologic side effects.
- Zantac (Ranitidine): This once-popular heartburn medication was recalled after it was found to contain NDMA, a probable human carcinogen. Lawsuits allege that long-term use of Zantac caused various types of cancer, including bladder, stomach, and pancreatic cancer.
The medications listed are only examples. If you experienced a serious and unexpected injury after taking any prescription or over-the-counter drug, you may be eligible to file a legal claim.
How Drug Injury Lawyers Investigate and Build Lawsuits Against Drug Companies
Lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies require a deep understanding of science, medicine, and the law. An experienced drug injury lawyer handles each part of the process with care, helping you seek accountability while you focus on healing.
Initial Case Review and Drug Investigation Process
Your case begins with a free, confidential consultation where you can share your experience. We review the medications you took, your symptoms, and your medical history to understand how the drug affected your health.
From there, our team investigates by examining FDA safety alerts, medical studies, and similar lawsuits. If the drug has a history of causing harm or is part of national litigation, that information helps us assess your claim and build a strategy tailored to your case.
Gathering Evidence for a Successful Drug Injury Lawsuit
A strong claim depends on clear, organized evidence. Your drug injury lawyer and legal team will gather all the materials needed to prove both the cause of your injury and the losses you’ve experienced. This includes:
- Complete medical records from your primary care doctor, specialists, hospitals, and clinics
- Pharmacy records that show what medications you were prescribed, including dosage and refill history
- Medical bills, insurance statements, and other documentation of the costs you’ve paid for treatment
- Wage records and employment history to show income you’ve lost from being unable to work
- Statements from family or caregivers to describe how the injury has changed your daily life
In addition to your personal records, we use the legal discovery process to request internal documents from the drug manufacturer. These documents may include clinical trial data, safety reports, marketing materials, sales strategies, and internal emails. Such records can help demonstrate what the company knew about the drug’s risks, when they became aware of them, and how they responded—or failed to respond.
Using Expert Testimony in Dangerous Drug Litigation
Expert witnesses often play a crucial role in the success of a drug injury case. These professionals help make complex scientific concepts understandable for judges and juries, and they provide vital links between your specific injuries and the known risks associated with the drug.
Our network includes:
- Pharmacologists, who explain how the drug works inside the body
- Toxicologists, who assess how the drug may have caused harm based on dosage, exposure, and other factors
- Physicians, who review your medical records and offer expert opinions on your diagnosis, treatment, and long-term health
These experts may testify in court, provide written opinions, or assist behind the scenes by helping us interpret medical data and shape arguments. Their expert input is key to showing how the drug caused your injury and why the manufacturer should be held accountable.
What Is Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) in Drug Injury Lawsuits?
When a large number of people across the country suffer harm from the same medication, their lawsuits may be grouped together into what’s called a Multidistrict Litigation (MDL). This process helps the legal system handle similar cases more efficiently.
In an MDL, all the lawsuits are transferred to one federal court and assigned to a single judge for pretrial proceedings. These include gathering evidence, hearing motions, and reviewing expert testimony. By centralizing the cases, the court can avoid duplicate work, reduce costs, and make more consistent rulings.
It’s important to understand that a Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) is not the same as a class action. In a class action, a small group of plaintiffs files a single lawsuit on behalf of a larger group, and the outcome applies equally to everyone involved.
In an MDL, however, your case remains separate. You are represented by your own drug injury attorney, and any settlement or verdict is based on the specific facts of your situation, including the nature of your injuries and how they have affected your life.
Our firm has years of experience working with clients involved in major MDLs. We understand how these complex cases work and what it takes to protect your rights throughout the process.
Damages You May Recover in a Drug Injury Lawsuit
A successful lawsuit can provide financial support to help you move forward after suffering harm from a dangerous medication. The amount and type of compensation available will depend on your specific injuries and losses. This compensation, known as damages, is usually divided into two main categories: economic and non-economic.
Medical Bills, Lost Wages, and Other Financial Damages
Economic damages are meant to repay you for direct financial losses related to your injury. These may include:
- The full cost of medical care, including hospital stays, doctor visits, medication, physical therapy, and future treatments
- Lost wages from time you were unable to work
- Reduced earning ability if the injury affects your long-term career
- Other out-of-pocket expenses, such as transportation to medical appointments, assistive devices, or help at home
We support these claims with concrete evidence, such as medical bills, income records, and documentation of other out-of-pocket expenses.
Pain, Suffering, and Quality of Life in Drug Injury Cases
Non-economic damages compensate you for how the injury has affected your life in ways that are not financial, but still deeply meaningful. These can include:
- Physical pain caused by the injury or ongoing medical treatment
- Emotional suffering, including anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress
- Loss of enjoyment, such as no longer being able to participate in hobbies or daily activities
- Permanent disability or visible disfigurement that affects your self-esteem or independence
While these losses cannot be measured in dollars, their impact on your life is significant and lasting. A skilled drug injury lawyer will work to present them clearly and fully so they can be properly considered in your case.
Speak with a Drug Injury Lawyer Today for a Free Consultation
When you take a medication expecting it to improve your health, and instead suffer a serious injury, the consequences can be life-changing. Filing a lawsuit is one way to pursue justice for what you have experienced.
It also sends a message to pharmaceutical companies that they must be honest about the risks of their products. By taking legal action, you may help protect others from facing similar harm in the future.
At Ferrer Poirot Feller, our experienced drug injury lawyers have been advocating for people harmed by unsafe medications since 1981. We have the knowledge, experience, and national resources to take on even the largest drug manufacturers and work to hold them accountable on your behalf.
Contact us at (888) 485-8844 or submit the online form for a free, private case evaluation. We are available 24 hours a day to discuss your situation, and you will not pay any legal fees unless we win compensation for you.