Lafayette Jury Awards $9 Billion in Punitive Damages

A jury in Lafayette has awarded $1.5 million in compensatory damages and $9 billion in punitive damages to a former user of the Actos diabetes medication after the jury determined that the drug was linked to the plaintiff’s bladder cancer. Both defendants, Takeda Pharmaceuticals Co. and Eli Lilly & Co., insists that their medication is safe and they plan to appeal the jury’s verdict. The plaintiff began taking Actos in 2006 to treat his Type 2 diabetes until 2011, when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration placed a warning on the medication’s labels stating that use of the drug for more than a year increases the risk of bladder cancer. The trial also featured Takeda officials destroying pertinent documents about the development and marketing of Actos, which prompted sanctions from U.S. District Judge Rebecca Doherty.

The manufacturers and distributors of pharmaceutical medications have a heightened responsibility to ensure that their medications are safe for consumption by the public. Side effects and inherent risks are common in these types of medications, but it is the responsibility of the manufacturers and distributors to clearly inform the public of these side effects and risks. A person who takes these medications without knowledge of the potential consequences could suffer serious injury or even death. If a pharmaceutical manufacturer or distributor fails to label the appropriate warnings on their medications, they can be responsible for the damages that may result from inadvertent consumption of these drugs.

The attorneys at Broussard, David & Moroux have experience working on these kinds of cases and they have the skills necessary to guide you through these difficult claims processes. If you or a loved one was hurt as a result of a mislabeled medication, contact the attorneys at Broussard, David & Moroux to discuss your legal rights at (337) 233-2323 (local) or (888) 337-2323 (toll-free).