One type of circumstance handled by a medical malpractice attorney in Surprise, AZ is when a person is negatively impacted by drug side effects that he or she was never told about. Doctors may assume that a patient will be informed by the pharmacist about relatively common effects that can cause permanent problems. They also may assume that every patient will look over the instructional material included with the medication. This does not always happen, however, leaving patients vulnerable to effects that might have made them decide not to take the drug at all.
In some instances, it’s not the doctor or pharmacist who should be considered responsible. It’s the drug manufacturer that did not disclose indications that a particular medication could cause a certain type of serious side effect or did not investigate the drug thoroughly enough. Manufacturers sometimes find evidence of side effects that should compel them to delay releasing the medication to the mass market, but they may be in a rush to get the product out for sale. Unfortunately, this is an all-too-common scenario.
An example of a distressing side effect that can develop with certain drugs is known as tardive dyskinesia. This group of disorders causes involuntary facial tics and other movements of which the patient has no control. The movements can be very noticeable to other people and can cause the individual great embarrassment. The disorder can even become painful and disabling. A medical malpractice attorney in Surprise, AZ represents patients like this who never knew they could become afflicted with this disorder by taking a prescription drug.
Drugs that can cause tardive dyskinesia are prescribed for conditions such as acid reflux disease, serious mental health issues and Parkinson’s disease. Sometimes taking this type of medication is the patient’s best course of action, but the person should always be made aware of what might happen as a result.
An organization such as Garrison Law Firm represents people who have been harmed by drug side effects such as tardive dyskinesia. They may file a lawsuit intended to gain compensation for the patient’s future medical care needed for this problem and any lost wages that are directly related. Compensation for pain and suffering may be a reasonable expectation as well.
