Risperdal Medical Malpractice Lawsuits: Risperdal Injury Lawyer Explains What You Need To Know

Certain doctors who prescribe the antipsychotic drug, Risperdal, are facing medical malpractice lawsuits for failing to monitor patients who later developed Tardive Dyskinesia, Gynecomastia and other dangerous Risperdal side effects. Our Risperdal medical malpractice attorney explains what you need to know.

Risperdal Injury Lawyer Derek Braslow

Derek Braslow, an injury attorney who handles Risperdal injury lawsuits, explained the Risperdal side effects of Tardive Dyskinesia and Gynecomastia and the medical malpractice lawsuits surrounding the antipsychotic drug manufactured by Janssen Pharmaceutical – a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary.

Risperdal Side Effect Tardive Dyskinesia: What Is It?

TD is a persistent chronic drug-induced neurological disorder which is characterized by involuntary, repetitive and purposeless movement. According to Braslow:

It is a condition that afflicts the head, neck, face, mouth and especially the tongue so that patients who develop this condition can’t walk or drive a car. It’s painful and disabling. The antipsychotic drug Risperdal has had warning labels with respect to Tardive Dyskinesia (TD) for many years. However, some doctors continue to prescribe it when they should not, they fail to warn the patients and their families regarding these risks – especially when prescribed to children and adolescents – and they fail to properly monitor their patients for the development of this horrible condition.

No Treatment For Risperdal Side Effect Tardive Dyskinesia

There’s no treatment for Tardive Dyskinesia, which is why Braslow says that doctors need to inform the patient and the family of the risks so that they can decide whether to take the drug in the first place and then be on the lookout and educate them about this condition so that they’re on the lookout for these abnormal types of movements because if it’s caught early, you may not fully develop the condition. He continued:

The condition can sometimes occur in patients who are on it for short term. However, the risk is greatly increased when you’re on these drugs for a long time. A doctor’s failure to monitor these patients or to recognize and timely diagnose them can result in medical malpractice. If you’re someone who has developed this condition as a result of taking these drugs and you were not monitored properly by the doctor or were never told of the risks, then you would have a claim against the doctor for negligence.

Risperdal & Tardive Dyskinesia: Medical Malpractice Lawsuit Damages

We asked Braslow what types of medical malpractice lawsuit damages might be available to someone who has developed Tardive Dyskinesia? He told us:

Damages would differ with every case as there are varying effects of Tardive Dyskinesia and would depend upon the severity of the patient’s disability. However, generally speaking, they would include the costs of medical care going forward, damages to reimburse for medical care and to recover compensatory damages for all the pain and suffering of the patient. In certain cases, it would include a lifetime of care.

Risperdal Side Effect Gynecomastia: What Is It?

Risperdal is the primary culprit in the development of gynecomastia, a condition which causes the development of enlarged mammary glands in males which results in breast enlargement, according to Braslow. He says that while its progression can be stopped if caught early enough, in many cases it isn’t:

This is a terrible and embarrassing condition – particularly as it relates to children who were prescribed this drug for an off-label use. This is not something that can be easily treated and may be something that they’ll live with for the rest of their lives. I think it’s important to start out with the premise that you need to weigh the benefits of prescribing the medication versus the risks.

Doctors Prescribing Abilify, Zyprexa & Haldol Also Subjected To Medical Malpractice Lawsuits

There are now numerous versions of Risperdal on the market in a class of drugs called antipsychotics which are approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder such as Abilify, Zyprexa and Haldol. Braslow says that while these drugs are also prescribed off-label to children for obsessive compulsive disorder, depression, anxiety or eating disorders, they can also cause Tardive Dyskinesia, Gynecomastia, diabetes, weight gain, suicidality, sexual dysfunction and a whole range of side effects of which many have a black box warning today.

If you or your child has been prescribed Risperdal and have suffered a Risperdal injury, contact an experienced medical malpractice lawyer to discuss your situation. You may be entitled to damages including hospital bills, lost wages, pain and suffering and more.