Levaquin Lawsuit – Side Effects Were Known For Years

The first Levaquin lawsuit to go to trial has resulted in a $1.8M verdict against J&J for downplaying the drug’s risks – especially to senior citizens. If you’ve been injured, contact a Levaquin injury lawyer today to find out how this verdict might affect your potential case.

Levaquin Side Effects Were Known – For Years

Thousands of people have been injured by Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J) antibiotic drug Levaquin (levofloxacin) – which was first approved by the FDA in 1996 and now has over $2 billion in annual sales. Injured victims say that Levaquin side effects such as severe tendon injuries in patients over 60 years of age were known by the company years ago, but that it hid that data in order to increase sales – without concern for patient safety. Those thousands of people have been waiting for their days in court and watching to see how the first Levaquin lawsuit was resolved. And it’s good news for anyone whose suffered from Levaquin side effects.

Jury Slaps J&J With Over $1M In Punitive Damages

A federal court jury ordered Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of J&J, to pay $1.8 million – over a million dollars of which constituted punitive damages – to 82 year old John Schedin of Minnesota. Like thousands of other Levaquin patients, Schedin suffered a severe tendon injury after taking Levaquin. In his case, he ruptured both Achilles tendons after taking Levaquin and a steroid five years ago.

Unfortunately, neither Schedin nor his physician were aware of the increased risk of tendon rupture for patients over 60 or those who are taking steroids, on corticosteroid therapy (which uses steroids to fight osteoporosis) have arthritis or are recipients of kidney, lung or heart transplants.

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), which ordered J&J and other manufacturers who sell drugs which contain antibacterial drugs known as fluoroquinolones (such as Cipro, Proquin, Factive, Avelox, Levaquin, Norxin and Floxin) to include a black box warning of their labels in 2008 to warn patients about these risks, has said that Levaquin accounted for over 60% of all fluoroquinolone-caused tendon injuries over a nine year period from 1997 to 2005.

Statements like that from the FDA – coupled with allegations of manufacturer fraud and thousands of reports of serious tendon injuries – may put Johnson & Johnson and Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceuticals in a whole lot of trouble in the very near future if the $1.8 million verdict is a sign of things to come.

Do You Have A Levaquin Lawsuit?

If you’ve been injured by this defective and dangerous drug, contact a Levaquin injury lawyer to discuss your situation and determine whether filing a Levaquin lawsuit might be in your best interests. You may be entitled to compensation such as lost wages, medical bills, pain & suffering – and as seen in the case above – punitive damages.