When individuals become ill to the extent that they are prescribed antibiotics, they must trust that not only will these drugs ease their symptoms, but that they won’t present side effects which will cause them further harm or illness. Such was the case for an Illinois woman, who recently filed a lawsuit against the makers of an antibiotic which caused her to develop permanent and painful nerve damage.
Jeanne Bullard filed an antibiotic peripheral neuropathy lawsuit last week in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois. In her lawsuit, Ms. Bullard claims that a 10-day prescription of the antibiotic Avelox in January 2013 caused her to develop peripheral neuropathy which may be permanent.
Peripheral neuropathy is the result nerve damage. This condition may cause pain, numbness, tingling, burning, weakness, light and touch sensitivity, motion impairment, and other symptoms. In some cases, the nerve damage that causes these issues cannot be reversed.
The FDA required the makers of Avelox and other fluoroquinolones to provide stronger warnings about the risk of peripheral neuropathy as a side effect and to state clearly that this issue could continue after a person stops using the medication. Multiple injured patients have filed personal injury lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies who they allege endangered patients by choosing to hide this risk in the interest of protecting their profits.
In her lawsuit, Ms. Bullard claims that the maker of Avelox, Bayer Pharmaceuticals, did not provide adequate warning about the risk of peripheral neuropathy linked to the medication. “A scientific review by the FDA of the adverse events in the FDA Adverse Event database in 2003 concerning Avelox and other fluoroquinolones revealed numerous reports of long-term peripheral neuropathy. Thus, rather than warning patients and physician that the use of Avelox may result in permanent nerve damage, Defendants instead adopted a warning that misleadingly indicated such damage was rare and failed to make any mention of the risk of permanent nerve damage.”
Ms. Bullard is seeking both compensatory and punitive damages in her lawsuit. If you believe that your diagnosis with peripheral neuropathy is a result of a prescribed antibiotic,you could also be entitled to pursue compensation for your suffering and expenses. Contact a personal injury lawyer to learn more about antibiotic peripheral neuropathy lawsuits.
