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Top Medical Lawsuits Everyone Should Be Aware Of And How They Affect Your Rights

Members of the medical profession and healthcare market have a duty of care to their patients and service users. While medical problems aren’t certain, and there are always issues that can arise. However, if they can be prevented, then medical practitioners and healthcare service providers need to do so. In some cases, this can occur, and when it does, patients and the families of victims can take the negligent party to court.

Medical lawsuits can help victims and their families to receive the compensation they need to deal with the fallout from the issue, which could be serious. After all, if a family member dies due to medical negligence, then the family needs to be compensated for the loss of income and distress. Also, if someone is disabled as a result of medical negligence, then they will need financial support to adapt their lives and get the treatment they will need in the future.

Additionally, medical lawsuits are a useful tool to hold the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries accountable for their mistakes. High-profile cases, such as those listed here, can help regulators to identify businesses that aren’t operating within the law, and to change regulations to ensure that every healthcare provider does everything in its power to provide the highest possible standard of medical care.

In this article, we’ve listed a selection of the top medical lawsuits that everyone should be aware of, what they mean for anyone who could be affected and how they affect your rights. Using this information, you can find out if you’re eligible for compensation and how medical lawsuits work.


The Philips CPAP And BIPAP Lawsuit

In 2021 Philips, a leading electrical home and medical equipment manufacturer, launched a recall of CPAP BIPAP machines and ventilators, which are a non-invasive treatment option for sleep apnea. The machines gently blow air into the nose and mouth, helping those who struggle to breathe during the night.

However, the machines were found to use polyester-based polyurethane (PE-PUR) to reduce the sound that the equipment makes. While this material is sound absorbent, it has also been found to be bad for our health. The material can cause a wide range of health issues, including asthma and a wide range of types of cancer, including breast and liver cancer.

Investigations by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found that Philips had been aware of the dangers of the material long before they launched the voluntary recall but failed to act before 2021. As such, the company put its profits before the safety and wellbeing of its customers. In this case, users of machines are vulnerable people who often have sleep apnea, which is a dangerous ailment that can lead to more significant health problems, including a heart attack, a stroke or even death.

Following the recall and the news from the FDA, legal experts like the team at Dolman Law Group have been working with individuals who used the machines to take the company to court. The law group offers an ultimate guide to filing a CPAP Lawsuit and what you need to know if you used one of the affected machines. You’ll then be able to get the compensation you need and show the company that its behavior was unacceptable.


Ruan v. United States

Perhaps one of the most significant American healthcare legal decisions of 2022, aside from the Supreme Court’s decision to overall Roe v. Wade, was its Ruan v. United States case. The case, which centers around the court’s perception of the US Controlled Substances Act, went against two doctors who prescribed opioids to their patients and were accused of running ‘pill mills’ because of the volume of prescriptions they provided. The court explored whether the doctors were prescribing excessive volumes of pills, or if they were, in fact, simply supporting patients who need pain relief.

When making a ruling, the judge took a subjective view of the charge and argued that if medically necessary, opioids should be prescribed to patients who need them. The case has helped to change the way that the US deals with its worsening opioid crisis, and has led to a review of other cases, including a case in Delaware against pharmaceutical giant Walmart.

This ground-breaking and controversial case, and its outcome, will help doctors to feel less restricted when they need to prescribe opioid drugs to patients who need them. On the other hand, it might lead to more doctors and medical practitioners to feel free to prescribe drugs that are not medically needed, which could further exacerbate America’s increasing reliance on opioids.

It has also opened a conversation about opioid addiction and how the medical industry in the US can work to reduce the impact of these drugs on patients, particularly those who are suffering from an addiction to them. Much like the contentious Roe v. Wade decision earlier this year, Ruan v. United States has led the Federal Government to re-evaluate its laws around opioids.

While this case doesn’t have a practical implication for many patients, it will affect doctors and medical practitioners who have previously been prosecuted for over-prescribing opioids. Also, with hundreds of thousands of drug overdoses a year from opioids in the US, the case is reopening a very important discussion about these drugs and how their prescription can be managed going forward.


Johnson And Johnson Talcum Powder Lawsuit

Johnson and Johnson, one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical powerhouses, has an ongoing legal battle over its talcum powder product. A major investigation found that company documents showed that between 1971 to the early 2000s, Johnson and Johnson was aware that its talcum powder and other talc products contained asbestos. Asbestos is known to cause cancer and respiratory issues, making it unsuitable for pharmaceutical and cosmetic products such as talcum powder.

While the company was aware of the issue, it did not take action until 2020, when it recalled the products in Canada and some US states. In 2022, Johnson and Johnson stopped producing and selling its talcum products in response to the issue. The problem has received global attention, with consumers from various countries and a wide range of different backgrounds accusing the company of contributing to their life-changing health conditions.

As a result, the company has been sued by thousands of people, and while some of these are settled, thousands of lawsuits remain open. Many of the accusers are women who used the products to dry their genital areas, which is one of its traditional uses. Many women have developed ovarian cancer as a result of using the product in this way. They believe that their cancers could have been prevented if Johnson and Johnson had acted earlier and recalled the product from sale when it became aware that its ingredients were dangerous to public health.

Many of these lawsuits are still ongoing, and the company has worked hard to prevent and avoid legal issues where possible. However, anyone who thinks they have a responsible case against Johnson and Johnson and can prove they used their talcum powder products regularly and that they could contribute to a current health condition, should speak to a lawyer to see what can be done.

Courts and regulators around the world are working to hold Johnson and Johnson accountable for this devastating issue, and this could help regulators to push companies to be more transparent about their practices. The future is uncertain regarding this case, but it could pave the way for significant changes to the pharmaceutical market that could benefit future patients worldwide.


A Brief Conclusion

Every year, there are hundreds of thousands of medical negligence and malpractice lawsuits in the US and around the world. Whether these lawsuits are dismissed due to lack of evidence, withdrawn, or lead to a conviction, any outcome to a medical negligence case can help to change the healthcare landscape for the better.

These cases can teach us a lot about the healthcare market and the gaps in regulations that need to be filled. As the global healthcare market continues to evolve and adapt, and new innovations such as health tech and digital healthcare solutions become more prevalent, cases such as these can teach us about what we need to do and how we can adapt to keep as many patients as possible safe.

This list of prominent medical lawsuits lists some of the most significant examples from recent years, but there are hundreds of others. Read up about new medical lawsuits to ensure that you’re always well-informed about the medical market and new regulations.

All of us will, at some point in our lives, need medical care, and most of us use pharmaceutical products at some point throughout the day. So, everyone needs to understand the healthcare market and how it affects us personally and those around us. This article can act as a great starting point for anyone who wants to start learning about the healthcare landscape.