Manufactured by Pfizer, Lipitor is a cholesterol-lowering statin drug that substantially reduces the risk of heart disease and heart attacks. The drug lowers “bad cholesterol” while increasing patients' “good cholesterol.” However, our Lipitor lawyers know that regulators have discovered that the drug can raise blood sugar levels, increasing the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. It may also cause memory loss. According to a University of Massachusetts Medical School study, women are 50% more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes when taking a statin like Lipitor than women who do not take statins. If you have been prescribed Lipitor or another dangerous drug, the product liability lawyers at Moll Law Group are available to assist you in filing a claim. Billions of dollars have been recovered in cases in which we were involved.
Type 2 diabetes requires careful management by a physician. Without treatment, it can lead to kidney damage, nerve damage, hearing impairment, blindness, amputation of feet, and Alzheimer's. Usually, physicians treat the condition with medicine or insulin therapy, the cost of which can add up over a patient's lifetime. Patients who developed diabetes due to Lipitor have filed product liability lawsuits against the manufacturer.
Product liability laws require manufacturers and those in the chain of distribution to make sure their products are free from dangerous defects that could lead to harming consumers. Product defects include manufacturing defects, design defects, and marketing defects. Plaintiffs and Lipitor lawyers have alleged marketing defects, specifically a failure to warn of the danger of developing Type 2 diabetes.
In most states, manufacturers can be held strictly liable for a failure to warn if someone is injured due to the lack of adequate warnings. Many pharmaceuticals have serious side effects and risks. Most states follow the learned intermediary doctrine, which permits a manufacturer to discharge its duty to warn by warning physicians who prescribe Lipitor. This is because doctors are considered to be in the best position to evaluate a particular patient's condition and conduct a risk-benefit analysis for that patient. Moreover, in most cases, physicians are in better contact with consumers than manufacturers are.
Plaintiffs who successfully prove a failure to warn may be awarded economic and non-economic compensatory damages. Economic damages may include past and future medical expenses and past and future wage loss, while non-economic damages typically include pain and suffering. Medical treatment for Type 2 diabetes lasts a patient's whole life, which means that future losses, including the costs of doctor's visits, pharmaceuticals, and potential complications, will have to be factored into the damages.
Type 2 diabetes is a serious illness, and some people would choose not to take a drug like Lipitor that would expose them to a higher risk of developing this illness. If you developed Type 2 diabetes after taking Lipitor, the product liability attorneys at Moll Law Group are available to represent you in pursuing economic and noneconomic damages. Our firm represents injured consumers nationwide, including in states such as California, Florida, New York, Texas, Georgia, Ohio, and Arizona. Call us at 312-462-1700 or use our online form to set up a free consultation with a Lipitor attorney.