Meredith Friesen  |  March 3, 2015

Category: Legal News

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Young beautiful woman scratching her selfA young mother suffered from a severe case of Stevens Johnson Syndrome, a serious skin disorder, after taking a friend’s medication. The woman is one of many users who have taken antibiotics and developed Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) or Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN).

Yassmeen C., 19, took a friend’s antibiotic on Thanksgiving Day. Shortly after taking the medication, she began to experience severe SJS symptoms. Her eyes, nose, and throat began to hurt because SJS often affects the mucous membranes. She went to the emergency room shortly after, ABC News reported. 

Once there, she began to develop severe blisters that caused her to shed skin. SJS causes the skin to literally burn off from the inside out. Yassmeen’s mother stated, “Her face changed within four days . … I would wipe her face and all the skin was just falling off.”

Yassmeen was hospitalized for 52 days due to SJS side effects. Because her SJS symptoms were similar to fire burn wounds, she was treated in the burn ward at the University of California Irvine Medical Center. 

Yassmeen’s five-month-old girl was forced to go without her mother for several weeks due to severe SJS side effects. Yassmeen underwent several surgeries in order to repair her skin. Over 90 percent of her body, both skin and internal organs, were affected by SJS. This means that the condition was actually Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN).

TEN has the same SJS symptoms but covers more than 30 percent of the body and had has a significantly higher mortality rate.

In addition to severe skin loss and excruciating pain, Yassmeen suffered from a blood infection, a urine infection, and a throat infection because of SJS. She was required to breathe through a tube in her trachea, was sedated, and was placed on a ventilator throughout her time at the hospital’s burn ward.

The young mother is now at home and should recover, but many SJS side effects such as scarring and possible limited movement could be with her for life.

SJS Lawsuits

Several medications are under investigation for causing SJS side effects in many patients. Antibiotics are the most common source of drug-caused SJS cases, but it is also possible for other medications to cause the condition. SJS and TEN are generally found in adults, but many children have developed the dangerous skin condition as well.

SJS and TEN are both relatively rare conditions, but their severity and unpredictability has caused the medical and scientific community great concern.

Many individuals have filed SJS lawsuits against the manufacturers of the drugs that have caused Stevens Johnson Syndrome or Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis in users. Plaintiffs have alleged that the manufacturers failed to adequately warn and/or protect against dangerous SJS side effects.

Do YOU have a legal claim? Fill out the form on this page now for a free, immediate, and confidential case evaluation. The Stevens Johnson Syndrome 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, SJS lawsuits are filed individually by each plaintiff and are not class actions.] Hurry — statutes of limitations may apply.

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Help for Victims of Stevens Johnson Syndrome

If you or a loved one were diagnosed with Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) or toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) after taking a prescribed or over-the-counter medication, you may be eligible to take legal action against the drug’s manufacturer. Filing an SJS lawsuit or class action lawsuit may help you obtain compensation for medical bills, pain and suffering, and other damages. Obtain a free and confidential review of your case by filling out the form below.

An attorney will contact you if you qualify to discuss the details of your potential case at no charge to you.

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Please note: Top Class Actions is not a settlement administrator or law firm. Top Class Actions is a legal news source that reports on class action lawsuits, class action settlements, drug injury lawsuits and product liability lawsuits. Top Class Actions does not process claims and we cannot advise you on the status of any class action settlement claim. You must contact the settlement administrator or your attorney for any updates regarding your claim status, claim form or questions about when payments are expected to be mailed out.