Levaquin is an antibiotic in the class fluroquinolone, which has been linked to side effects such as tendon injuries and rotator cuff tearing. Over 60 percent of fluroquinolone-related tendon injuries can be linked to Levaquin specifically, leading thousands of plaintiffs to file against drugmaker Johnson & Johnson in state and federal courts across the country. In July of 2008, the Food and Drug Administration ordered manufacturers of the medication to place black box warnings on the packaging to outline the risks associated with the medication.
Many of the lawsuits complain that warnings given to patients and doctors were not sufficient and did not accurately outline the potentially severe side effects of the antibiotic. More than 2,600 lawsuits have already been filed against the makers of Levaquin, and plaintiffs are trying to get a settlement or jury verdict as quickly as possible so that they are able to pay off past and future medical bills and get on with their lives. Although it is not known how much each plaintiff in each individual case will receive, several factors will be taken into consideration.
Settlements are determined by certain factors such as the presence of permanent disability associated with the injury, medical costs and expenses in the past and in the future along with ones associated with ongoing treatment, severity of the injury, and nature of the injury. Pain and suffering, along with other factors, are also usually taken into account.
Over 990 Levaquin lawsuits have been consolidated in the US District Court in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in a multidistrict litigation case. The first of six bellwether trials has already been completed, and an 82-year-old man named John Schedin took home $1.8 million in damages as awarded to him by a jury. He had been dealing with Levaquin tendon ruptures. The jury decided that Johnson & Johnson did not provide enough warnings to doctors and patients about potentially severe side effects of the medication.
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