With over half of the American population on a prescription drug at any given time, and plenty more taking over the counter medications, it is easy to see just how dangerous a defective drug can be. While drug manufacturers are required to extensively test their products before submitting them to the FDA for approval, sometimes errors slip through the testing process, sometimes long-term dangers have yet to be assessed, sometimes a batch is wrongly manufactured and, on rare occasion, outright fraud is committed so the company can have their drug approved in spite of its known negative effects. When these situations occur, many innocent people can be affected by the dangerous drug. If you or a loved one has been injured or killed by a dangerous medication, please call a skilled Chicago accident attorney.
As soon as a drug defect becomes known to the FDA, the agency will generally require the company to issue a recall in order to get the dangerous medication out of public distribution. When this happens, victims of the drug’s negative effects have the right to speak with a Chicago accident lawyer and take action against the manufacturer.
The statute of limitations for drug defects is four years, but it is important to recognize that this is from the time you notice side effects, not from the time the recall is announced. If you suffer life-endangering effects from a drug, but choose not to file suit until a recall is issued five years later, you will have already waived your right to take action. On the other hand, if a drug recall is announced but you do not notice effects from the medication until twenty years later, you can file suit within four years from that period. It is critical you call a Chicago accident attorney and file a suit as soon as you notice these symptoms, regardless of whether or not the company has issued a recall.
If you or a loved one has been injured or killed by a prescription or over-the-counter medication, we can help. Please call our offices today to discuss your case with a skilled Chicago accident lawyer.