Companies that make and sell pharmaceutical drugs and medical devices must ensure that the products they sell are safe and effective. Every year, however, manufacturers release products that are not only harmful, but also dangerous. This results in hundreds, if not thousands, of people being harmed due to dangerous prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines or supplements, and medical devices. At the same time these same manufacturers profit at people’s expense.
Companies selling prescription or over-the-counter drugs, nutritional supplements, and medical devices may be held responsible for the resulting harm of their products if those goods reached consumers with, which includes design defects (a flaw in how the product was designed), manufacturing defects (a problem in how the product is made), deceptive marketing (e.g., claiming the product will effectively treat a condition it does not, or containing a contaminant it is not supposed to), or failure to warn (e.g., not disclosing a risk associated with the product).