Darvocet Lawsuits Could Lead to Settlements Out of Court

Many plaintiffs who have filed a Darvocet-related lawsuit are hoping that they will receive a settlement out of court before a jury decision. This would get them money they need more quickly – and speed is imperative in personal injury cases, since oftentimes settlements are necessary to help pay for medical bills or other treatments that will alleviate a patient’s pain and suffering. Going through the entire litigation process can be drawn-out, costly, and painful, and there is no guarantee of how much a jury might award a plaintiff. This is why, in some cases, a settlement being reached is ideal.
Although there is some chance that a jury trial could award a plaintiff more money than a settlement might, there is also a chance that the jury could rule in favor of the defendant, leaving the plaintiff with nothing but a pile of medical and legal bills.
Propoxyphene products were banned in November and were some of the nation’s most prescribed painkillers, with brand names Darvon and Darvocet the most easily recognizable forms of the medication. Over 10 million Darvocet prescriptions were filed in 2009 alone, a staggering number. Although side effects started to manifest rather quickly, the Food and Drug Administration was limited in what they could do to test a drug that had already been approved for use.
Darvocet side effects such as heart arrhythmia, addiction, overdose, heart attack, suicide, and accidental or sudden death have all been reported as linked to Darvocet and other propoxyphene products, and the severity of these side effects have led to the mass amounts of lawsuits being filed across the country.
If a Darvocet settlement is reached with a plaintiff, the amount of money will depend on the expenses the plaintiff has had to pay and the expenses he or she may pay in the future, pain and suffering, loss of wages or earning potential, seriousness of the injury, and other factors.