ClassAction.org is reporting that lawsuits filed by women who developed type 2 diabetes after using Lipitor are seeking compensation for damages including past and future medical bills, pain and suffering, mental and physical injuries and economic losses. According to these lawsuits, Pfizer Inc. knew or should have known that its cholesterol-lowering drug could put patients, especially women, at risk for developing type 2 diabetes, yet failed to adequately warn the public about this risk. Although Pfizer updated Lipitor’s label to include the risk of increased blood sugar levels in 2012, the plaintiffs allege that this warning still does not fully disclose the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
According to these lawsuits, patients who developed type 2 diabetes will be forced to monitor their medical conditions for the rest of their lives, as there is no cure for the disease. Court documents claim that the plaintiffs “must undergo regular testing of [their] blood sugar levels, adhere to a restrictive diabetic diet, and take medication to control [their] diabetes.” Furthermore, the disease may put these patients at risk for additional medical conditions including heart disease, blindness, neuropathy and kidney disease.
For these reasons, the plaintiffs are seeking compensation for expenses related to their medical care and treatment, which they have incurred and will continue to incur in the future. They are also seeking compensation for non-economic damages, including emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, pain and suffering and disability.
In February 2014, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation approved a motion to consolidate all federal lawsuits involving Lipitor diabetes claims to the U.S. District Court, District of South Carolina. In the Lipitor multidistrict litigation (MDL), the Honorable Judge Richard M. Gergel will oversee all pre-trial proceedings, which will help promote judicial economy. According to the Panel’s most recent report, there are 270 cases pending in the Lipitor MDL. While Judge Gergel will be managing the discovery process for all of these cases, each plaintiff will retain his or her own attorney, lawsuit, and right to an individual award.
Did you develop type 2 diabetes after using Lipitor? If so, the attorneys working with ClassAction.org would like you to know that you may have legal recourse and there is still time to join this growing litigation. For more information on your potential legal rights, visit http://www.classaction.org/lipitor-lawsuits today.
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