Maryland Defective Equipment and Drugs Lawyers

Drug manufacturers and medical equipment manufacturers are trusted by consumers and professionals to remain quality conscious. A minor manufacturing mistake or production defect can turn routine medical procedures into life threatening situations. Even if you manage to avoid the fatality, you are left with broken trust and physical or emotional damage associated with such incidents.

In case you are the victim of defective equipment or drugs, you are protected under product liability laws. You can file a products liability lawsuit and demand the compensation you deserve.

The Risks Are Real

As important as medical treatments and drugs are, there have been plenty of cases where a product has caused real harm to patients. A product can be harmful for three main reasons. It can be a design flaw that makes product inherently risky. It can be a manufacturing error or mistake. It can also be marketing or labeling related issues that makes a medical drug or equipment unsafe for patients.

Some common examples of defective products include drugs such as Fosamax that caused unexplained femur fractures. Many male patients have also faced severe health issues when taking testosterone medicines. The effects can be as significant as a heart attack or heart failure. Moreover, poorly designed or tested medical equipment and components, such as metal hips, have also been associated with many risks such as adverse reaction or infection of tissues in the area where the component is placed.

Product Liability is Different from Medical Malpractice

An important thing to know is that there is a difference between product liability and medical malpractice. In many cases the manufacturers actually issue warnings regarding possible adverse effects associated with the usage of the drug or equipment. In such cases, the responsibility is passed on to the medical practitioners to communicate the warning to their patients. It is true that finding who’s responsible with such blurred lines is difficult for anyone who lacks medical and legal knowledge.

Both the plaintiffs and defendants may require the help of a qualified attorney with knowledge of defective equipment and drug related products liability as well as medical malpractice cases, to help them understand how to move forward with a lawsuit.

What Should Victims Do?

In case you have fallen victim to defective drugs or medical equipment, you should get help from an attorney as soon as you can. First of all, a good attorney will help you understand whether you should file a medical malpractice lawsuit or a products liability lawsuit (or possibly both). Then, every state has a statute of limitations (which is a time deadline to file a lawsuit) and your attorney will help you learn about this and act accordingly. The time period between the patient’s exposure to the defective drug or equipment and their awareness and discovery of the injury can play a significant role in how the case is handled.

There are many small factors like this that can complicate the case for victims. That is why you need qualified and compassionate attorneys to help you through the tough time and get the compensation your truly deserve. That is exactly what we have been helping our clients with, and we are eager to help you too. Please call Altmark, Rotter & Trock, LLP, for a free consultation at (410) 783-9230, or toll-free outside of Baltimore at 1-(888) 966-5566.