Accutane Lawsuit News

Accutane Settlements

2011-02-09T11:59:00.000-08:00

Pharmaceutical manufacturing company Hoffman-LaRoche Inc. was recently dealt yet anoter set back in its ongoing legal proceedings against plaintiffs alleging they were injured by Accutane. Roche was ordered by a New Jersey jury to pay over $10 million in punitive damages to a plaintiff who allegedly suffered bowel problems and physical injuries as a result of taking the acne drug Accutane. This settlement is the biggest to date for any Accutane arbitration case.

The plaintiff in this case developed ulcerative colitis, a type of bowel disease that causes inflmmation. Her attorneys alleged that pharmaceutical manufacturer Roche had failed to properly warn patients that taking Accutane might cause bowel problems like the ones their client suffered from. Even though the plaintiff resides in the state of Utah, her attorneys filed the case in New Jersey since this was where Hoffmann-LaRoche Inc. was incorporated.

Currently, there are more Accutane related cases pending on behalf of other plaintiffs. Updates & news pertaining to Accutane lawsuits will be posted here.

Update: Roche has filed an appeal asking for a new trial.

Accutane Class Action Lawsuit

2011-01-13T07:41:00.000-08:00

To date, no Accutane class action lawsuit has been filed in any state court. Patients who have taken the drug Accutane or its generic version (isotretinoin) might have an increased risk of forming a debilitating gastrointestinal disease. Persons who have taken Accutane and are suffering form of serious gastrointestinal illness like Crohn's disease continue to file individual claims, also known as arbitration cases.

Accutane Lawsuit Settles for $25 Million

2011-01-04T11:43:00.000-08:00

Andrew McCarrell, an Alabama resident who had to have his colon removed as a result of a bowel disorder linked to the drug Accutane, recently won a judgement against the pharmaceutical giant and manufacturer of Accutane, Hoffmann-La Roche Inc.

In his lawsuit, the 38 year old native says Roche failed to properly warn of Accutane's potentially dangerous side-effects which he alleges caused his painful bowel disorder and eventually led to the removal of his colon.

A New Jersey jury agreed and awarded the $25 million for compensatory damages in a retrial that stemmed from an appeals court overturning the original $2.6 million judgement awarded to McCarrell in May of 2007.

Hoffmann-La Roche, based in Nutley, N.J., says it plans to appeal.

Hoffmann-La Roche stopped selling Accutane in June of 2009 citing competition from generic manufacturers and the high cost of defending itself against Accutane related lawsuits

Accutane Litigation Update

2010-12-14T13:35:00.000-08:00

Accutane, an acne medication that is popular amongst teens and young adults, has recently been linked to serious side effects and the potential to cause devestating bowel problems like inflammatory bowel disease and ulcerative colitis in people prescribed to the drug.

Currently, close to 1,000 Accutane lawsuits have been filed against the drug's manufacturer, Roche, in both federal and state courts. These lawsuits regarding Accutane allege that the drug's manufacturer did not take the proper steps to adequately warn to properly warn users about the potential of harmful Accutane side effects. To date, Roche has lost the first six trial cases, and is facing verdicts ordering the company to pay restitutino and damages up to $56 million. Similarly, Roche has agreed to settle other Accutane cases for amounts that remain undisclosed.

Status of Lawsuits Against Accutane

In the few cases against Accutane that have already gone to trial, plaintiffs have already been awarded millions of dollars in damages and compensation. At this time, Accutane lawyers are looking over cases for persons who have used Accutane and were diagnosed with:

Crohn’s Disease
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
Ulcerative Colitis

If drug manufacturers do not adequately inform patients of the potential side effects of a drug they may be held be held accountable. Pharmaceutical providers are responsible for making sure that those prescribed a drug are fully aware of the potential & dangerous side effects that can occur when taking a drug. Failure to disclose these dangers is considered an act of negligence.

Thus far, patients that were taking Accutane prior to Roche's warning about the serious risks associated with the drug have predominantly been able to get favorable court rulings. Most recently, three individuals that filed a lawsuit against the makers of Accutane were awarded several million dollars by the New Jersey Superior Court in a ruling that alleged Accutane had caused their serious condition of inflammatory bowel disease.

Accutane Bowel Problems

Of the several bowel problems that have been directly linked to Accutane, Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is the most commonly reported and unfortunately, the most debilitating as well. Inflammatory Bowel Disease is the medical name for a culmination of digestive dysfunctions that can include Crohn's disease as well as ulcerative colitis.

To learn more, visit our Accutane side effects page.