Coming Up with an Accurate Estimated Accutane Lawsuit Settlement Amount

Estimating the amount of compensation that could be awarded to an individual in response to an Accutane lawsuit is difficult; some might say impossible. Every Accutane lawsuit is unique; there are no two cases exactly alike. Because of the unique nature of each different lawsuit it’s not surprising that there is no “formula” that will provide prospective Accutane lawsuit plaintiffs with an “expected” monetary outcome.

Accutane Side Effects Include Birth Defects

Although much of the media coverage surrounding Accutane is based on the recent and ongoing lawsuits surrounding the acne medication, and most of these lawsuits relate to the gastrointestinal side effects of the drug, another serious side effect of Accutane has been clear since the drug’s introduction to the market in the 1980s – Accutane-related birth defects. An average mother’s chance of giving birth to a baby with a birth defect is 3-5 percent, but when Accutane is added to the equation, the percent chance increases to 30 percent – more than ten times what it would normally be. Birth defects such as vision problems, heart problems, and mental retardation have all been reported as a result of Accutane use.

Accutane Lawsuit Gets Underway

More than 3,000 lawsuits have been filed against drugmaker Roche for their acne drug Accutane, pulled from the market in 2009, between September 23, 2004 and February 16, 2011. There seems to be no sign of the influx slowing down, either – more than 300 lawsuits have been filed just since the beginning of 2011. Many of these lawsuits are being consolidated in a multidistrict litigation case in New Jersey, that is being presided over by Judge Carol Higbee of Atlantic City. Although the legal process is often lengthy, plaintiffs hoping for some form of compensation for their Accutane-related suffering should have hope – the first three trials in the case have gotten under way this week, meaning more trials won’t be far behind.