Pittsburgh PA Topamax Birth Defect Attorney

Topamax Birth Defect Lawyers

Topamax, or topiramate as it is known generically, belongs to a family of drugs known as anticonvulsants. Anticonvulsants are generally prescribed to people with epilepsy, who suffer from seizures, or who have severe migraine headaches. Controlling over a fifth of the entire epilepsy drug market, Topamax is manufactured by the Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Janssen Pharmaceuticals, which used to be known as Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals.

In a March 2011 warning from the Food and Drug Administration, some of the serious side effects of Topamax were exposed when it was discovered that women who are pregnant and on Topamax are over 20 times more likely to have babies that have developed cleft lips and cleft palates as opposed to women who had never taken the drug.

If you were prescribed Topamax while you were pregnant and your child was born with an oral cleft defect, then please contact the dangerous drug lawyers at Dallas W. Hartman, P.C. today to speak with an experienced attorney about your rights as a parent of a victim of the side effects of Topamax. Due to the fact that women who were prescribed the drug were not properly warned about the possible dangers it posed to their babies if they were to become pregnant, many women may now be eligible for lawsuits to obtain compensation for the negligence of Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiaries.

What you likely were not told about Topamax when it was prescribed

Topamax is given to people who suffer from epileptic seizures and migraines because it works specifically to decrease abnormal nerve cell activity. In addition, it can be prescribed along with other medications to treat something called Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, which is a form of adolescent epilepsy that can cause epileptic seizures and delays in the development of a child’s mental capacities.

While cleft lip and cleft palate are the most common forms of birth defects stemming from the use of Topamax, there are others as well. Topamax has also been linked to spina bifida, heart and lung defects, malformed arms and legs, penile defects in baby boys, and debilitating ear infections which can lead to lifelong issues with eating and speech dysfunction. Such defects and malformations generally require costly surgeries and a lifetime of medical treatment.

These injuries may require surgery and other costly medical treatment, but with the dangerous drug attorneys at Dallas W. Hartman, P.C. on your side, you may be able to gather compensation for the drug manufacturer’s negligence to help you with your child’s medical expenses and pain and suffering, as well as possible recompense for the loss in quality of life they may have to endure for the rest of their lives.

It’s time to file your Topamax claim

What most mothers of the victims of Topamax birth defects do not realize is that in their first trimester, if they are using the drug but do not know they are pregnant, the risk of their child suffering from a Topamax-related birth defect is greatly increased. It is also important for women of childbearing age that use Topamax to realize that the drug may reduce the effectiveness of contraceptives. Most claims against Topamax, to date, are based on the fact that Johnson & Johnson, along with Janssen Pharmaceuticals, have been negligent and failed in their legal duty to warn women in this demographic of these possible side effects.

By providing the necessary information, these women would have been able to explore other options for choosing treatment for migraine headaches and epilepsy seizures. Instead, Johnson & Johnson essentially chose corporate profits over patient safety ever since the pharmaceutical giant became aware of these dangerous risks to its users in 2008. However, this comes to no surprise to the defective drug attorneys at Dallas W. Hartman, P.C. who have been following Johnson & Johnson and its number of renamed subsidiaries for well over a decade. Our dangerous drug lawyers became increasingly aware of Johnson & Johnson’s corporate dishonesty when one of its older subsidiaries, Ortho-McNeil (now Janssen), ended up being sued over fraudulently marketing Topamax as a sound treatment for alcoholism and different bipolar disorders, even though they had already netted over $10 billion in profits by 2008.

In 2010, Ortho-McNeil pled guilty to fraudulently marketing Topamax and paid over $6 million in fines. Also in 2010, Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals paid over $75 million in a settlement, essentially admitting they were guilty under the United States federal False Claims Act. Regardless of what name or subsidiary Johnson & Johnson hides behind, their practices remain abhorrent and people are suffering due to their negligence and corporate greed.

Call a Topamax attorney at Dallas W. Hartman, P.C. today for a free consultation

If you and your family have suffered due to the ill effects of Topamax, then please call one of our dangerous drug lawyers at Dallas W. Hartman, P.C. for a free consultation. We have been helping people and their loved ones fight against corporate giants for over 30 years. We have the experience, the knowledge, and the professionalism that you are looking for in a great attorney. You can touch base with a dangerous drug lawyer at Dallas W. Hartman, P.C. by calling (toll free) 800-777-4081 or contacting us via email by clicking here. Remember, the attorney you choose DOES make a difference. Call Dallas W. Hartman, P.C. today.