Top Class Actions  |  July 30, 2014

Category: Legal News

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Stevens Johnson SyndromeOne of the major problems for Stevens Johnson Syndrome lawsuits has been which defendants to name. After all, the Supreme Court has ruled that generic drug makers cannot be held liable for allegedly defective drugs because they have no control over the composition of the substance or what safety information is presented.

However, a California appeals court has decided that a medical publishing firm that produced a safety information packet for a drug could potentially be held liable. The case involves a woman who is now blind due to Stevens Johnson Syndrome, the autoimmune disorder.

SJS also attacks mucous membranes including in the nose, throat, and even the skin. Developing SJS is still somewhat of a mystery, although it has been generally associated with drugs like Dilantin and Lamictal, both of which are used for mental health disorders as well as to control epilepsy.

The woman who suffered from Stevens Johnson Syndrome side effects alleges that the safety information packet of the generic drug she took did not include information regarding the possibility of SJS. She and her lawyers argue that the publishing company only printed a five-page version. Had the firm also included the three additional pages expected by the manufacturer she would have seen the black box warning from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) noting the possibility of SJS side effects and therefore chosen an alternative treatment, according to her Stevens Johnson Syndrome lawsuit.

The California appeals court agreed with that argument noting that having doing so would not contravene FDA regulations, and that the company made its decision even though it had the opportunity to publish the full warnings.

This represents a new opportunity for people suffering from SJS side effects to find some sort of legal redress. Stevens Johnson Syndrome side effects are particularly pernicious not just because there is no known real cure for them, and because there can be regular flare-ups even several years after the initial diagnosis. Until this Supreme Court rules on the liability of the original patent holder, this remains one of the more promising avenues that plaintiffs suffering from SJS side effects currently have.

The Stevens-Johnson Syndrome Lawsuit is Kathleen Hardin, et al. v. PDX Inc., et al., Case No. A137035, Court of Appeal of the State of California.

In general, SJS lawsuits are filed individually by each plaintiff and are not class actions.

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Help for Victims of Stevens Johnson Syndrome

If you or a loved one were diagnosed with Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) or toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) after taking a prescribed or over-the-counter medication, you may be eligible to take legal action against the drug’s manufacturer. Filing an SJS lawsuit or class action lawsuit may help you obtain compensation for medical bills, pain and suffering, and other damages. Obtain a free and confidential review of your case by filling out the form below.

An attorney will contact you if you qualify to discuss the details of your potential case at no charge to you.

 

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Please note: Top Class Actions is not a settlement administrator or law firm. Top Class Actions is a legal news source that reports on class action lawsuits, class action settlements, drug injury lawsuits and product liability lawsuits. Top Class Actions does not process claims and we cannot advise you on the status of any class action settlement claim. You must contact the settlement administrator or your attorney for any updates regarding your claim status, claim form or questions about when payments are expected to be mailed out.