South Carolina Personal Injury Law Blog
Yet another verdict for the male users of Risperdal as a Philadelphia jury ordered the drug manufacturer, Johnson and Johnson to pay twenty-one (21) year old Nicholas Murray 1.75 Million Dollars. Murray alleged that the use of Risperdal caused him to develop large breasts. Murray had alleged that Janssen Pharmaceuticals, one of J&J’s subsidiaries, failed to adequately warn patients and doctors of the risk of Risperdal, including a condition known as gynecomastia which is a condition causing boys to grow excessive breast tissue.
There are over 1500 cases pending in Pennsylvania State Court alone regarding Risperdal. This case is the third to have a jury verdict. In February of this year, a Philadelphia Jury awarded 2.5 Million Dollars in damages in another such case.
The lawsuit was brought by a family of an autistic boy who took the drug and later developed size 46 DD breasts according to a lawyer for the family. During the trial, a former FDA Commissioner, David Kessler, served as a paid witness for the family and testified that J&J knew about the risks with Risperdal but failed to disclose those risks. Documents show that J&J knew there were a much higher percentage of children getting gynecomastia than it admitted. During the trial, Johnson & Johnson claimed that the evidence showed that the child was not harmed by using Risperdal, and in fact, his quality of life was significantly improved during the time he was taking Risperdal.
Johnson and Johnson has had other problems with the marketing of Risperdal. J&J agreed to pay up to 2.2 Billion Dollars to settle a decade long investigation involving the illegal promotion of Risperdal from 1999 to 2005. The money from the settlement was split between the federal government and multiple states and was the largest of its kind in U.S. history. Johnson and Johnson never admitted its wrongdoing, but its questionable sale and marketing practices were called into question. There have been many other verdicts and settlements involving J&J’s promotion of Risperdal. In South Carolina, J&J received a $327 Million Dollar verdict against it. Later, in separate settlements with Texas and Montana, J&J paid $158 Million and $5.9 Million Dollars respectively.
According to Carl Tobias, a University of Richmond Law School professor who teaches product liability, “It doesn’t bode well for the company,” he says, “But we’ll have to see some more verdicts before we know whether J&J is serious about settlement negotiations.”
To Get More Information about Filing a Risperdal Lawsuit
If you have information that you believe could lead to a successful suit from the use of Risperdal, you should speak to an experienced Risperdal attorney. The Law Offices of Patrick E. Knie can help those who believe that they have been damaged from the use of Risperdal. Call us at 864-582-5118 to schedule an appointment to talk about your case. We represent clients throughout South Carolina, with offices located in Spartanburg and Greenville.
Additional Resources:
Johnson & Johnson Loses Trial Over Risperdal And Male Breasts, The Wall Street Journal, February 24, 2015