Pharmaceutical settles wrongful death suit in West Virginia

Avandia is a well-known drug used to treat diabetics by making their body more sensitive to insulin. Avandia, which has become the subject of numerous lawsuits because of its potentially serious side effects, which include stroke, bone fractures, eye damages and even death. GlaxoSmithKline, the pharmaceutical company which marketed the drug, recently settled a wrongful case in West Virginia filed by the husband of a woman who died as a result of taking the drug.

According to sources, GlaxoSmithKline has agreed to pay the man $62,160 in exchange for his promise to release the pharmaceutical from all responsibility for his wife’s death. That is a fairly small amount of money considering that, according to Drugwatch, GlaxoSmithKline faces potentially $6 billion in liability for side effects of the drug.

Pursuing civil litigationagainst a major pharmaceutical company is obviously no small undertaking. Pharmaceuticals have the financial resources to present a strong defense and see litigation through to the end, which just isn’t always the case for victims of dangerous drugs. This is why many such cases are sued as class actions.

Those who have been harmed by a dangerous drug or a defective product have the right to be compensated by those responsible for the injury and damages. It is important to work with an experienced attorney when pursuing such litigation, because even though an experienced attorney cannot guarantee a particular outcome in any case, they can always ensure that the victim’s interests will receive the best possible advocacy before, during and after litigation.

Source: West Virginia Record, “Man files petition over Avandia wrongful death settlement,” Ben Hart, April 21, 2014.Drugwatch.com, “Avandia lawsuit,” Accessed May 8, 2014.