Meredith Friesen  |  February 27, 2015

Category: Legal News

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doctor hands giving white pills and glass of waterA Levaquin lawsuit was filed in late December 2014 that claimed the quinolone antibiotic Levaquin caused an Oklahoma resident to develop peripheral neuropathy. This is one of many Levaquin lawsuits filed against Johnson & Johnson and Janssen Pharmaceuticals involving quinolone peripheral neuropathy.

Plaintiff Henry C. took Levaquin (levofloxacin) before developing peripheral neuropathy, a form a nerve damage that affects the peripheral nervous system, he explains in his Levaquin nerve damage lawsuit. Levaquin peripheral neuropathy can affect feeling and movement in the hands and feet before spreading to the arms and legs.

Levaquin Peripheral Neuropathy

The warning label had suggested that any Levaquin peripheral neuropathy symptoms that might arise were “rare” and,  according to the Levaquin lawsuit, “could be avoided by discontinuing the drug upon the onset of certain symptoms.”

Henry alleges that not only was the nerve damage long-lasting, but that the defendants were or should have been aware of the actual peripheral neuropathy risk associated with the drug and warned accordingly.

The Levaquin lawsuit states, “the scientific evidence has established a clear association between Levaquin and an increased risk of long-term and sometime irreversible peripheral neuropathy.”

The warning label allegedly misled Henry and many other plaintiffs who developed quinolone peripheral neuropathy until 2013 when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) required a label change to inform users that Levaquin peripheral neuropathy was not rare. Many Levaquin lawsuits were filed after this announcement.

Peripheral Neuropathy Symptoms

The peripheral nervous system connects the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body. When this link is damaged, common everyday movement can become difficult, painful or impossible.

Symptoms of this potentially permanent form of nerve damage include:

  • Tingling or numbness in the hands or feet, which may spread upward into the arms or legs
  • Burning pain
  • Sharp, jabbing or electric-like pain
  • Extreme sensitivity to touch
  • Skin, hair or nail changes
  • Lack of coordination
  • Muscle weakness
  • Paralysis
  • Heat intolerance
  • Bowel, bladder of digestive problems
  • Dizziness or lightheadedness

Levaquin peripheral neuropathy has been found in numerous patients. Countering any potential arguments of the statue of limitations for plaintiffs, the Levaquin lawsuits state that the defendant’s fraudulent concealment prevented plaintiffs from knowing the truth sooner and filing a Levaquin lawsuit closer to the date of peripheral neuropathy diagnosis.

This quinolone antibiotic was approved in 1996 as a strong antibiotic used to treat certain bacterial diseases, commonly lung, sinus, skin, and urinary tract infections, according to the Levaquin lawsuit. Levaquin was extremely profitable for the drug manufacturers. Levaquin is one of several quinolone antibiotics currently under investigation for causing peripheral neuropathy symptoms in users.

Claims in this Levaquin lawsuit included strict liability, failure to warn, negligence, breach of warranty, fraud, negligent representation, and fraudulent concealment.

This Levaquin Lawsuit is Case No. 4:14-cv-05668, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, San Francisco Division.

Do YOU have a legal claim? Fill out the form on this page now for a free, immediate, and confidential case evaluation. The attorneys who work with Top Class Actions will contact you if you qualify to let you know if an individual lawsuit or class action lawsuit is best for you. [In general, peripheral neuropathy lawsuits are filed individually by each plaintiff and are not class actions.] Hurry — statutes of limitations may apply.

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If you took Cipro, Levaquin, Avelox, Noroxin or Factive and were diagnosed with nerve damage, paralysis or peripheral neuropathy, you may have a legal claim.  Submit your information now for a free case evaluation.

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