November 19, 2013
Topamax® is an anticonvulsant medication used in the treatment of conditions such as Epilepsy and migraine headaches. The drug is also sometimes prescribed for off label treatments of obesity, smoking and alcohol cessation, and cluster headaches. Despite its numerous uses, the Topamax® Injury Lawyers with the law firm of Ferrer Poirot Feller Daniel explain that fetuses exposed to the medication in utero face an increased risk of suffering certain birth defects, such as cleft lips and palates.
The company who manufactures the drug, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, was found to have been negligent for failing to properly test the drug’s safety prior to its release after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration received numerous reports of drug injuries associated with the product. These findings resulted in a massive recall and dozens of lawsuits stemming from injuries the medication caused. Juries, who ruled in favor of the victims, recently decided two of these cases.
According to an article from Wall Street Cheat Sheet, the drug manufacturer was order to pay $4.02 million to a woman whose son was born with a birth defect as a result of her taking the drug while pregnant with the child. Then, earlier this week, a Philadelphia jury ordered the company to pay a $10 million in damages to the child of a 5-year-old boy who was afflicted with a similar condition caused by the drug.
The law firm’s team of Drug Injury Attorneys hopes the rulings bring closure to the victims and their families.