A Lawsuit Regarding Depakote Liver Damage
The Depakote liver damage lawsuit was filed against Dr. Arthur J. Depakote in 1997. Dr. Depakote was the chief of staff at St. Joseph Hospital in Detroit when he is alleged to have administered a hepatitis C treatment called “indinavir” without approval or consultation from his department. He is also accused of not disclosing the possible side effects of this treatment and not taking the required precautions to make sure that it was safe. There were no monitoring studies to show that this course of treatment was effective. As a result, numerous patients became ill, many died, and substantial damages were awarded to the plaintiffs.
Depakote Liver Damage Lawsuit
When you consider how depakote liver cancer spread rapidly through the hospital staff, who knew about the problem?
Nobody did. Dr. Depakote reportedly told some staff members that he believed that there was a connection between hepatitis C and livers, and some even recalled positive hepatitis test results on patients who came into his office for treatment. Some of them were unaware that they had been infected with this condition.
These lawsuits were filed by individuals who suffered liver damage, but the basis of the lawsuit focused on negligence.
One of the plaintiffs stated that her son died after consuming a blood product that was supposed to remove hepatitis C from his liver. Another plaintiff stated that her daughter-in-law developed liver cirrhosis and should have been evaluated earlier for liver damage. Yet another individual stated that her son-in-law developed hepatitis C after consuming Depakote.
The question of whether these plaintiffs should be paid for their depakote-related injuries has yet to be determined.
One of the plaintiffs in these lawsuits had surgery as a result of her depakote injury, and the jury could not determine whether or not this type of surgery would cause further damage. In addition, the judge stated that because of the nature of the device, it was likely that Depakote could have continued to damage the patient’s liver without causing further harm.
Some doctors have disputed the claims that Depakote is a risky medical device.
They argue that the device is safe when used according to the manufacturer’s instructions. However, one doctor noted that this claim is not supported by scientific data.
For example, it is known that Depakote can cause liver damage in some people, but this damage does not usually develop unless the user is subjected to a high dosage over a long period of time. In addition, the user should be aware that a person’s reaction to Depakote differs from one person to the next, as everyone is different.
There are other lawsuits regarding the effects of Depakote. However, these are not part of the depakote-related lawsuit that was mentioned above. If you or someone you know has been affected by Depakote and are interested in filing a lawsuit, consult a qualified attorney today. Only an experienced attorney will be able to give you the best chance of success.
