Jurors in a state court have awarded Kamie Kendall Rees $1,587,928 in her Accutane injury lawsuit against drug maker Hoffman La Roche Inc. The ruling comes in a retrial after an appeals court threw out the original verdict of $10.5 million on the grounds that a judge was improper in deciding to bar the manufacturer from presenting evidence about use of the drug.
Rees claimed that the manufacturer never warned consumers and healthcare providers about the health risks involved. Like a lot of Accutane patients, she started taking the medication when she was young to treat her acne. She developed Ulcerative colitis after taking the medication for two years. Because Rees’s condition was so severe, she eventually underwent surgery to get her large intestine removed.
Some 16 million people have taken Accutane. Roche discontinued the drug in 2009 after millions of dollars were awarded in drug injury verdicts to other plaintiffs in the US. To date, reports Bloomberg, Roche has lost 10 out of the 13 drug defect lawsuits brought over this medication since 2007, including a case in 2012 in which the manufacturer was ordered to pay two plaintiffs $18 million and $25 million verdict to another plaintiff in 2010.
Accutane, a synthetic formulation of Vitamin A, has been linked to birth defects, depression, suicide, hypertension, liver damage, Pancreatitis, and Lupus.
Accutane Inflammatory Bowel Disease
IBD affects the small intestine and colon. Patients may experience severe weight loss, swollen and irritated intestines, pain, bleeding, and digestive problems. This condition can lead to Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. Ulcerative colitis is a disease of the colon that is chronic and may damage the large intestine. Crohn’s diseases can cause inflammation to the digestive tract lining, serious pain and other uncomfortable side effects.
Accutane and Skin Reactions
In 2010, Hoffman-LaRoche and health Canada warned that there had been an increase of serious skin conditions in Accutane users, including Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis and Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, two very serious skin reactions that can lead to disability and death.
Accutane and Birth Defects
A number of birth defect lawsuits have been filed by moms who believe their child’s bodily and facial defects are because they took Accutane while pregnant. Birth defects to the brain, the cardiovascular system, and the nervous system are among the injuries included in their claims.
Accutane, Depression, and Suicide
The drug has been linked to an increased risk of metal illness that can lead to suicide and psychiatric disturbances.
Please contact one of our Boston Accutane injury lawyers today. Our Massachusetts drug defect law firm represents victims who have suffered serious health issues because of a dangerous or unsafe medication.
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