Although the Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires pharmaceutical companies to spend millions of dollars each year testing, testing and retesting their medicines before allowing them to be sold to the public, the system is not foolproof. Thousands of people die each year from unsafe pharmaceutical drugs-both prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications. Fen-Phen, Baycol, Rezulin, Propulsid, Redux, Pondimin, Oxycontin and Vioxx are just a few of the high profile drugs that have caused injury and death and given rise to defective drug lawsuits throughout the country. At the Scanlan Law Group, we have handled a number of these defective drug lawsuits, and we know what it takes to bring these cases to a successful conclusion.

There are several possible types of defective drug cases. In defective manufacturing cases, an otherwise safe drug may become defective during the manufacturing process due to poor quality control procedures or other manufacturing defects in the production facilities. In side effects cases, the drug in question contains a harmful side effect that was either unknown to the manufacturer at the time the drug is made available to the public, or the manufacturer failed to warn the public of the side effects. In drug interaction cases, the drug in question may be safe but, when used in conjunction with another drug, or even a food or beverage, it can have deadly effects. In design defect cases, a dangerous drug manages to slip through the FDA's approval process, injuring and killing those who take the drug.

In addition to defective drugs, there are a number of defective medical devices that can cause injury and death. These include orthopedic devices (such as bone, hip, knee, and joint screws, rods and plates), cosmetic devices (such penile and breast implants), cardiology devices (such as pacemakers, artificial heart valves and vascular stents), therapeutic devices (such as catheters and tubing), and contraceptive devices (such as IUDs).

Because defective drug cases can be very complex, you need experienced and aggressive attorneys to successfully handle them. The Scanlan Law Group has the necessary experience. We have successfully sued drug makers and other entities responsible for drug injuries, and we are not afraid to take them to trial if one of our clients has been injured. Accordingly, if you or someone you know have sustained a drug related injury, contact the Scanlan Law Group for a free initial consultation.