With so many Americans taking prescription drugs, the dangers of adverse side effects has spread beyond the original user. There have been reports of prescription medications causing medical episodes to users behind the wheel of a car. The result is a car accident that injures innocent motorists and pedestrians. In some cases, the drug manufacturer did not warn the user or the Food and Drug Administration about the risk of a medical episode while taking the medication.
According to the FDA, almost one-half of the U.S. population used a prescription drug in the last month. Approximately two-thirds of visits to the doctor result in prescription drug treatment, says the FDA. There is an increase in prescription drug use as one gets older, as 85 percent of people over age 65 take an average of three different prescription medications every day.
Vioxx, Yaz, Yasmin and Lotronex are just a few of the prescription drugs linked to serious injuries and fatalities in the past decade. Unfortunately, the FDA and other regulatory bodies play more of a reactive role than a proactive role when it comes to defective drugs. It usually takes a report of injuries from the drug before there is a recall. Victims can turn to the legal system to hold drug companies liable for the harm caused.
Harrell & Nowak, L.L.C. – New Orleans injury attorneys