Cancer Litigation: Facing A Class-Action Lawsuit While Battling Health Issues

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When you fill a prescription recommended by your doctor or purchase a product to benefit your home, you are expecting to improve your health and living circumstances… not harm them. Unfortunately, there are many toxic products that are recalled each year for contributing to life-threatening illnesses like cancer and more.

If you or someone you love is battling cancer, the last thing on your mind may be the desire to file litigation. It can be messy, lengthy, and exhausting to imagine dealing with paperwork and legal procedures on top of battling a life-threatening illness.

However, if you’re diagnosed with cancer after the use of a harmful recalled product, you may want to contact a personal injury lawyer. There are over 400,000 personal injury claims filed per year, according to findings from the US Department Of Justice, and many victims have been able to receive compensation for their medical bills and the harm caused.

Let’s discuss the meaning of a class-action lawsuit, explore a few recent cancer-causing product recalls that are causing illness in Americans, and decide whether contacting a lawyer is right for you and your family.

What Is A Class Action Lawsuit?

When multiple people are harmed by the same action, product, or corporation, they can file what is called a class-action lawsuit against the defendant. This is when a number of like-minded people team up (and lawyer up), prosecuting as a group to seek compensation for injury, illness, or other harm done by said product or corporation.

For example, let’s say Beth used a certain medication last year that caused blindness in one eye and she amassed $5,000 worth of medical testing and bills before she realized the cause. After the product was recalled, Beth got a lawyer who helped her join a class action lawsuit alongside others suffering blindness from this medication. She was then able to win

compensation for her disability and pay for her medical bills with the help of a legal team.

Other examples of class action lawsuits can include a group of employees who experienced discrimination, consumers who were all injured by the same product, or a community subjected to fumes from a toxic spill.

Recent Lawsuits + Their Connections To Cancer

Unfortunately, the illustration used above is all too common. Recently, there has been an increase in product recalls due to the presence of harmful cancer-causing chemicals. Although it’s difficult to put a finger on exactly how many class-action lawsuits are filed each year, law experts estimate it is into the thousands.

If you have been diagnosed with cancer and have been exposed to these harmful recalled products and medications, it may be worth contacting a lawyer and filing a lawsuit.

Zantac Carcinogen Lawsuits

Zantac was one of the more popular heartburn and antacid medications on the shelf before it was recalled in 2020 by the FDA for containing “extremely high levels” of a cancer-causing carcinogen known as NDMA (Nitrosodimethylamine).

This carcinogen was found in every lot tested of Zantac, and the levels of NDMA only seemed to increase the longer the product sat on the shelf. An online pharmacy called Valisure brought initial awareness of the carcinogens, alerting the FDA that their tests found more than 31,000 times the recommended amount of the chemical within the pill.

The Zantac class-action lawsuits allege that Sanofi, Zantac’s manufacturer, knew there was a risk of cancer and didn’t properly disclose the risks when they distributed the medication. If you’re a former Zantac user that has been diagnosed with cancer, you may want to consider hiring a personal injury lawyer.

Talcum Powder Lawsuits

The large corporation Johnson & Johnson is the target of thousands of lawsuits stating that their talcum powder caused ovarian cancer in women who used it. The lawsuits allege that Johnson & Johnson has known their talcum-based powder has a link to cancer-causing chemicals since the 1980s.

While this is not a class action, there are thousands of lawsuits claiming that talcum powder has a direct link to ovarian cancer. Contacting a legal professional is recommended.

Roundup Cancer Lawsuits

There have been massive class-action lawsuits against popular weed killer Roundup alleging that the chemicals in the products can cause cancer. The lawsuits claim that the company that produces Roundup, Monsanto, knew there was a link between their product and cancer and didn’t properly warn consumers.

The active ingredient that targets and kills weeds is called glyphosate, a chemical the World Health Organization has recently categorized as a human carcinogen. Roundup and other glyphosate products are sprayed in public parks, plant nurseries, and commercial farms that grow our food. The most disturbing fact about Roundup is that it hasn’t even been fully recalled.

Conclusion

These illnesses are more than an inconvenience; they are life-threatening and expensive. According to the Urban Institute, over half of Chicago residents are considered financially insecure with less than $2,000 in savings. Many individuals in cities across America would be bankrupt by medical bills from an unexpected illness like cancer.

If you have been diagnosed with cancer or another illness out of the blue and believe a harmful medication or toxic recalled product is to blame, contact a lawyer to discuss your next steps and win the compensation you deserve.