In August 2016, a lawsuit was filed against Johnson & Johnson and is subsidiary Janssen Pharmaceuticals. The case alleges that the prescription antibiotic Levaquin caused serious and permanent nerve damage. More specifically, the plaintiff alleges that “Levaquin is defective, dangerous to human health, unfit and unsuitable to be marketed and sold in commerce, and lacked proper warnings and directions as to the dangers associated with its use.”
This is not the first Levaquin case filed by people who have been hurt by this medication. Other patients are also seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in damages for the harm that they allegedly suffered because of this specific drug.
What Is the Risk?
In July 2016, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) updated safety label changes on Levaquin and other drugs in the fluoroquinolone family of antibiotics. The FDA found a connection between these drugs and disabling and potentially permanent conditions involving the tendons, nerves, muscles, joints, and central nervous system. Accordingly, the FDA no longer recommends that Levaquin or similar medications be used to treat “less serious bacterial infections.”
Two 2015 studies published in JAMA and BMJ also found that Levaquin, and similar drugs, may cause dangerous problems in the aorta—the large blood vessel that sends blood from the heart to other organs in the body. Researchers found that the aorta could tear (aortic dissection) or that the aorta could bulge (aortic aneurysm). These dangers could lead to a stroke, a heart attack, or death.
Could You Have a Claim?
If you have been hurt or your loved one died because of a complication from Levaquin, then you need to take action as soon as possible. You may have a legal claim against the drug’s manufacturer, and you may be able to recover damages for the significant harm that you have incurred. However, your time to file a lawsuit is limited and if you fail to act within the required time then you may never have your legal claim heard.
To learn more about your potential recovery and to make sure that your legal rights are protected, please call our experienced prescription drug injury lawyers as soon as possible at 1-800-800-5678 to discuss your specific drug injury.