We trust that the medications prescribed to us are safe, that their risks have been honestly disclosed, and that the companies behind them put patient safety first. Too often, that trust is betrayed. When a pharmaceutical company conceals known dangers, fails to warn of serious risks, or markets a drug that should never have reached patients in its form, the people who suffer are the patients who took the medication in good faith.
At Gilman & Bedigian, we hold pharmaceutical companies accountable for the harm their products cause. We are nationally recognized trial attorneys with the resources to take on the largest drug manufacturers in the world, and we represent patients and families injured by dangerous and defective medications. If you or someone you love was harmed by a medication, we are here to help you understand your rights.
Find out whether you may have a claim, free and in confidence. Call 1-800-529-6162 (phones answered 24/7) or request a free, confidential consultation online. There is no fee unless we win your case.
What Is Dangerous Drug Litigation?
Dangerous drug litigation holds pharmaceutical companies legally responsible when their products injure patients. These are product liability cases—claims that a drug was defective or unreasonably dangerous, or that the manufacturer failed to adequately warn of its risks.
Importantly, a dangerous drug claim is not about a medication that simply did not work, or that carried a properly disclosed risk that materialized. It is about wrongdoing by the manufacturer: hiding data, downplaying dangers, failing to warn, or rushing a product to market without adequate testing. When a company's conduct falls below what the law requires and patients are harmed, those patients deserve accountability.
Because the same medication is typically prescribed to many thousands of people, these cases often involve harm on a national scale. As a result, they frequently proceed as mass torts coordinated through multidistrict litigation (MDL), in which similar cases from across the country are consolidated before a single federal court for efficient handling of common issues while each plaintiff's individual claim is preserved.
How Pharmaceutical Companies Cause Harm
Dangerous drug cases generally arise from one or more of the following failures:
Failure to warn
Manufacturers have a legal duty to warn of a drug's known risks. When a company fails to disclose a serious side effect, buries a warning, or provides inadequate information to doctors and patients, it can be held liable for the resulting harm. Failure to warn is at the center of many pharmaceutical cases.
Defective design
Some drugs are alleged to be unreasonably dangerous as designed—their risks outweighing their benefits, or a safer alternative being available. These design-defect claims challenge the fundamental safety of the product.
Manufacturing defects and contamination
A drug may be contaminated or improperly manufactured, introducing dangers the product was never supposed to carry.
Concealing or downplaying adverse events
Manufacturers are required to monitor and report adverse events—harmful effects experienced by patients. When a company minimizes, ignores, or hides mounting evidence of harm, it can be held accountable.
Misleading marketing and off-label promotion
Promoting a drug for uses that were never approved, or marketing it in a way that overstates benefits and understates risks, can expose a manufacturer to liability.
If a medication caused you serious harm, an experienced attorney can evaluate your situation at no cost. Call 1-800-529-6162 or request a consultation.
Black Box Warnings, FDA Actions, and Drug Recalls
What distinguishes pharmaceutical litigation is the regulatory backdrop against which it unfolds. Understanding a few key concepts helps explain how these cases are built—and how a company's failures come to light.
Boxed ("black box") warnings. The strongest warning the FDA can require on a prescription drug is a boxed warning—commonly called a "black box" warning—reserved for risks that can lead to serious injury or death. The existence of a black box warning, when it was added, and whether the manufacturer adequately conveyed the risk can all be central to a case. A company that knew of a serious risk but delayed or diluted the warning may bear responsibility for harm that occurred in the meantime.
FDA actions and safety communications. The FDA monitors drug safety after approval and can take action through safety communications, label changes, restrictions, and—in serious cases—mandated changes or market withdrawals. These actions often reflect accumulating evidence of harm and can be important to a survivor's case.
Drug recalls. When a drug is found to be dangerous or defective, it may be recalled. A recall does not automatically prove a company's liability, but it is frequently a significant development, and patients harmed before or during a recall may have claims.
Adverse event reporting. Drug safety depends on systems for reporting adverse events. When internal company records reveal that a manufacturer knew of mounting reports of harm and failed to act, that knowledge can be powerful evidence of wrongdoing—and uncovering it is part of what the discovery process in these cases is designed to do.
Clinical Trial Issues and What a Company Knew
Many pharmaceutical cases ultimately turn on a single question: what did the company know, and when did it know it? The answer often lies in the drug's development and the clinical trials that preceded its approval.
Clinical trials are meant to establish a drug's safety and effectiveness before it reaches patients. When a manufacturer designs trials to obscure risks, suppresses or fails to publish unfavorable data, ignores safety signals that emerged during testing, or rushes a product to market without adequate study, patients can be exposed to dangers that should have been caught. Internal documents, trial data, and company communications—obtained through the discovery process—frequently reveal whether a company prioritized profits over the safety of the people who would take its drug. Building this evidence is core to holding pharmaceutical companies accountable.
Injuries and Long-Term Health Consequences
The harm caused by a dangerous drug can range from acute injuries to chronic, life-altering conditions. Depending on the medication and the patient, consequences can include serious organ damage, internal bleeding, cardiovascular events, severe and sometimes permanent side effects, the worsening of a treatable condition, the need for additional medical treatment and procedures, lasting disability, and, in the most tragic cases, death. Some harms appear quickly; others develop over months or years, which is one reason it is important to speak with an attorney even if time has passed since you took a medication. We work with medical and scientific experts to document both the immediate and the long-term consequences of a dangerous drug.
Who May Be Held Responsible?
Depending on the facts, responsibility in a dangerous drug case may extend to the drug's manufacturer; distributors and marketers; and, in some circumstances, other entities in the chain of distribution. Pharmaceutical cases also involve specialized legal doctrines—such as the "learned intermediary" rule, which addresses the manufacturer's duty to warn prescribing physicians—that require experienced handling. Identifying the responsible parties and the applicable legal framework is part of what we do.
How a Dangerous Drug Case Is Investigated
A credible pharmaceutical case is built on medicine, science, and evidence of corporate conduct. We work with medical experts to establish that the drug caused the patient's injury, and with pharmacologists and other specialists to evaluate the drug's risks and the adequacy of its warnings. Through the discovery process, we seek the company's internal records—clinical trial data, safety reports, marketing materials, and communications—to establish what the manufacturer knew and when. Because these cases often proceed as part of larger coordinated litigation, we also evaluate whether your case fits within an existing or emerging MDL or mass tort. This is resource-intensive work, and it is exactly the kind of litigation we are equipped to handle.
Time Limits for Dangerous Drug Claims
Dangerous drug claims are subject to a statute of limitations that varies by state, and the deadline may depend on when the injury occurred or when the patient discovered—or reasonably should have discovered—that a medication caused the harm. Because drug injuries sometimes emerge long after a medication is taken, this "discovery" element can be important. These rules are complex and vary by jurisdiction, and missing a deadline can permanently bar a claim, so it is important to consult an attorney as soon as you suspect a medication caused you harm.
Why Clients Trust Gilman & Bedigian
Taking on a pharmaceutical company is not for every firm. These defendants are among the most powerful corporations in the world, with vast legal and financial resources. Holding them accountable requires a firm with the experience, the resources, and the willingness to fight.
Gilman & Bedigian is a team of experienced trial attorneys, founded by Charles Gilman and Briggs Bedigian, who take on corporations and institutions on behalf of injured people. We have recovered more than $800 million for injured victims and families, including some of the largest medical malpractice and birth injury verdicts in Maryland and Pennsylvania history—among them a $182 million verdict and a $55 million verdict against Johns Hopkins Hospital—demonstrating our ability to stand up to large, well-funded organizations and win. Our work has been recognized by the American Association for Justice, Super Lawyers, and an A-rating from the Better Business Bureau, and we have been featured by ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome; each case is different and must be evaluated on its own facts.
We treat the people we represent with compassion and respect, explain everything in plain language, and return calls promptly. With offices in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Texas, we handle serious cases nationwide in cooperation with local counsel. And because we work on a contingency-fee basis, there is no fee unless we win your case—and we advance the substantial costs that pharmaceutical litigation requires.
Speak directly with an experienced attorney today. Call 1-800-529-6162 (answered 24/7) or request a free, confidential consultation. You can also review our results and our defective products practice.
Frequently Asked Questions About Dangerous Drug Litigation
How do I know if I have a dangerous drug claim?
Generally, you may have a claim if a medication caused you serious harm and the manufacturer failed in a legal duty—such as failing to warn of a known risk, concealing dangers, or selling a defectively designed product. The best way to find out is to speak with an attorney, who can evaluate your situation at no cost.
What is a "black box" warning?
A boxed warning, commonly called a "black box" warning, is the strongest warning the FDA can require on a prescription drug, reserved for risks of serious injury or death. When a manufacturer knew of a serious risk but failed to warn adequately—or delayed adding a warning—that failure can be central to a case.
Does a drug recall mean I automatically have a case?
Not automatically. A recall is often a significant development and may signal that a drug was dangerous, but you generally must still show that the drug caused your injury and that the manufacturer's conduct fell below what the law requires. If you were harmed by a recalled drug, it is worth having an attorney review your situation.
What is multidistrict litigation (MDL), and will my case be part of one?
MDL is a procedure in which many similar cases from across the country are consolidated before one federal court for coordinated pretrial proceedings, while each plaintiff's individual case is preserved. Many dangerous drug cases proceed this way. We evaluate whether your case fits within an existing or emerging MDL.
The harm appeared long after I took the medication. Is it too late?
Not necessarily. Many states apply a "discovery" rule, under which the deadline may begin when you discovered—or reasonably should have discovered—that a medication caused your harm. Because these rules vary and are time-sensitive, it is important to consult an attorney promptly.
How much does it cost to hire a dangerous drug lawyer?
Gilman & Bedigian handles these cases on a contingency-fee basis. There are no upfront costs, and you owe no attorney's fee unless we win your case. We advance the substantial costs these cases require. Your consultation is free and confidential.
What if my loved one died after taking a dangerous drug?
If a medication contributed to your loved one's death, your family may be able to bring a wrongful death claim. We handle these cases with care and sensitivity, and we are here to help you understand your options.
Pharmaceutical Companies Must Answer for the Harm They Cause
When a drug company puts profits ahead of safety, patients pay the price—and they deserve accountability. If a medication harmed you or someone you love, you should not have to take on a multinational corporation alone.
Gilman & Bedigian is here to help. We will evaluate your situation, consult the right medical and scientific experts, uncover what the company knew, and pursue accountability on your behalf. There is no cost to begin and no obligation.
Speak With a Dangerous Drug Attorney Today
- Free, confidential consultation
- Experienced trial attorneys who take on pharmaceutical companies
- Nationwide representation, including in MDL and mass-tort proceedings
- No fee unless we win your case
If a medication harmed you or someone you love, contact Gilman & Bedigian. Call 1-800-529-6162 (answered 24/7) or request your free, confidential consultation.
