Levaquin Tendon Rupture Leads to Illinois Woman's Lawsuit

Margaret A. Frass, an Illinois woman, has filed a Levaquin lawsuit after experiencing what she claims was Levaquin tendon rupture. She has gotten in touch with a Levaquin lawyer and joined Levaquin multidistrict litigation currently taking place in the U.S. District Court of the District of Minnesota, where the third Levaquin bellwether trial is currently taking place. Frass' Levaquin claim is similar to many others that were already involved in the Levaquin litigation. 

Tendon Rupture in Plaintiff's Patellar Tendon

Frass claims that she began taking the antibiotic Levaquin in April of 2005, and was diagnosed with a Levaquin tendon rupture in her right patellar tendon in September of that year after experiencing painful side effects including pain and swelling in her right knee. The symptoms began to show up shortly after she began taking Levaquin, and she and her Levaquin lawyer have linked her use of the drug to the tendon rupture.

California Levaquin Lawsuit Moved to Minnesota

A Levaquin lawsuit filed in California has been moved to Minnesota multidistrict litigation after the plaintiff's Levaquin lawyer requested the move. Arthur Dement filed his Levaquin lawsuit on July 25, 2011after experiencing side effects associated with the antibiotic. It was transferred to Minnesota multidistrict litigation on the 12th of January, 2012.

Levaquin multidistrict litigation in side effects cases

Dement's case is not unlike other Levaquin side effects cases, with the plaintiff filing suit against drug maker Johnson & Johnson after experiencing side effects such as Levaquin tendon rupture and Levaquin rotator cuff tears. Dement is seeking damages from Johnson & Johnson, including general, punitive, and special damages that total in excess of $75,000. 

Levaquin Tendon Rupture Leads to More Lawsuits

A Levaquin tendon rupture lawsuit has been filed by Diane K. Eccles of Oregon, claiming that she suffered from Levaquin tendon ruptures in her shoulder, following using the medication for six months. Although there has been information about the potential risk of tendon damage on the drug’s label since it was first approved by the FDA in 1996, plaintiffs alleged that those warnings were insufficient and that the drug maker actively attempted to downplay the risk for years. Levaquin is the best-selling antibiotic in the U.S., pulling in about $1.5 billion last year. It is now also available as a generic from other drug makers. The most common Levaquin Lawsuit involves ruptures in the achilles tendon, though a growing number of cases are involving tears in the shoulder.

The FDA, in 2008, required an upgraded warning on tendon damage posed by Levaquin and similar drugs. In 2006, Public Citizen filed a petition with the FDA, requesting that stronger warnings be issued regarding Levaquin tendon rupture side effects. In January 2008, Public Citizen filed a lawsuit against the FDA in an attempt to compel the agency to order Levaquin’s maker to include a warning on the Levaquin label regarding the risk of tendon ruptures and other tendon injuries. Finally, in July 2008, the FDA issued a health alert notifying the manufacturers of certain antibiotics, including Levaquin’s maker, of the need to add a boxed warning to the prescribing information about the increased risk of developing tendonitis and tendon rupture in patients taking fluoroquinolones.

The tendon most frequently associated to the Levaquin induced ruptures is the Achilles tendon, however Levaquin has also been linked to tendon ruptures in the rotator cuff (shoulder), the biceps, the hand, and the thumb. So far, two Levaquin lawsuits of a reported 2,500 pending claims have made their way to court. One was found in favor of the plaintiff while the other was found in favor of Johnson & Johnson. The first lawsuit resulted in a jury awarded $1.8 million to a man who alleged he ruptured both Achilles tendons. In June 2011, however, a jury found in favor of Johnson & Johnson in a Levaquin lawsuit, after determining that the company properly warned about the risks associated with the antibiotic.

Levaquin Lawsuits Hit or Miss

Plaintiffs in Levaquin-related cases were hopeful after a Levaquin lawyer netted his 82-year-old client a settlement of more than a million dollars - $1.8 million, to be precise – in a Levaquin-related lawsuit against drugmaker Johnson & Johnson. The man had ruptured both of his Achilles tendons after taking the antibiotic, and this success encouraged many of the more than 2,500 Levaquin plaintiffs, reassuring them that their cases could be successful.

Bellwether Trails Set Precedent in Levquin Side Effect Cases

Since Levaquin was introduced in 1997, Johnson & Johnson has failed, according to the Levaquin lawsuits filed against Johnson & Johnson, to adequately warn about the risk of tendon ruptures side effects associated with the antibiotic, particularly involving the Achilles tendon. Although a “black box” warning was announced in July 2008 for all antibiotics in the same class, Johnson & Johnson still does not indicate that Levaquin is more tendon toxic than the other drugs in the class. A handful of cases, known as bellwether lawsuits, were selected for early trials in the Multidistrict Litigation to help the parties gauge the relative strengths and weaknesses of their cases, by determining how juries respond to evidence that is likely to be similar throughout many cases in the litigation. The results of the bellwether trials may h

Levaquin Lawsuit Eligibility Considered

More than 2,500 Levaquin lawsuits have been filed by plaintiffs who have experienced tendon rupture and rotator cuff tearing associated with the broad-spectrum antibiotic Levaquin, but only one has seen trial. John Schedin suffered Achilles tendon ruptures after only eight days on Levaquin. His lawsuit was chosen as the first bellwether trial in Levaquin consolidated federal litigation – a bellwether trial is a preliminary trial that will help Levaquin lawyers and plaintiffs gauge the possible outcome for their own trial.

Lawsuit Win Sets Way for Further Compensations from Levaquin

Levaquin is a 3rd-generation fluoroquinolone antibiotic, manufactured by Ortho-McNeil, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson. Doctors prescribe Levaquin as an antibiotic to treat bacterial infections in many different parts of the body. It does not work for viral infections (for example, the common cold). While patients taking Levaquin have reported a variety of minor side-effects, common with any medication, the most serious Levaquin side effect reported has been an increased risk of Achilles tendonitis among current and former patients. Several studies published in accredited medical journals have cited case studies in which individuals who have taken Levaquin have been adversely affected by levofloxacin-induced tendonopathy and tendon rupture.

Levaquin Puts Innocent Users at Huge Risk

The Minnesota federal judge overseeing the Levaquin multidistrict litigation allowed punitive damages in the first trial after finding that plaintiff John Schedin presented reasonable evidence that defendant Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc. knew or disregarded research that the antibiotic could cause tendon injuries, tried to prevent European regulatory action that would affect the drug's reputation and "manipulated" a study "to produce a commercially favorable result," according to an order that was unsealed May 12. Potential plaintiffs who have any questions in regards to Levaquin litigation and filing a lawsuit of their own should first speak to an experienced Levaquin lawyer.
Levaquin is a potent anti-bacterial medication for which the generic name is levofloxacin. It is manufactured and marketed by Ortho McNeil; however the patent on the product has expired and several generic versions are in circulation. In the United States, approved usage of the drug includes sinusitis, exacerbated chronic bronchitis, pneumonia, urinary tract infections and prostatitis. The serious side effects of Levaquin, which include: tendon rupture and rotator cuff tear are affecting thousands of individuals.
Levaquin has been associated with increased risk for tendonitis and ruptured tendons. The entire class of drugs (fluoroquinolones) into which Levaquin falls is not approved for use with children except under special circumstances, due to the potential for damage to the musculoskeletal system, as well as the danger for fatalities. The new black box warning was enforced because the FDA says this class of drug worsens a condition known as myasthenia gravis. The black box warning is the strongest warning the FDA can impose on a drug that is already approved for public use. Fluoroquinolones like Levaquin already had a black box warning against them because they have been found to cause Levaquin tendon rupture and damage to patients, as well as other tendon problems.

Levaquin Trials Move Forward

Levaquin Settlements and Jury Verdicts

Only one Levaquin lawsuit has reached court so far, but the jury verdict resulted in a massive win for the plaintiff – 82-year-old John Schedin walked away with over a million dollars in damages, which will help to cover medical costs and loss of quality of life associated with the side effects of the popular antibiotic. Schedin began taking Levaquin in 2005 while trying to treat an upper respiratory infection, and shortly thereafter the once-active senior ruptured both of his Achilles tendons. Schedin, who formerly plated golf several times a month and kept active, experienced impairment of his mobility so severe he was left unable to climb stairs.

Levaquin Tendon Rupture Lawsuits Lead to Jury Verdict of Millions

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.