A new Risperdal male breast growth lawsuit has been filed against Janssen Pharmaceuticals, alleging that the antipsychotic drug caused a young man to develop female-like breasts.

The Risperdal lawsuit was filed jointly by a mother and her son, Lori L. McKee and Benjamin A. Verkest.

Mr.Verkest took Risperdal, under a doctor’s prescription, between 1997 and 2001. The Risperdal lawsuit states that the decision to take this medication was largely based on the assertions of safety and efficacy made by the defendants.

The male breast growth lawsuit alleges that the drug caused Mr. Verkest to suffer a host of physical and psychological problems from the drug, including weight gain, diabetes, impaired motor function, and gynecomastia or male breast growth.

Mr. Verkest also alleges that he suffered psychological trauma from growing female-like breasts, leading to secondary mental illnesses like anxiety, agitation and embarrassment from the situation.

The Risperdal lawsuit seeks compensation for the cost of medical care to correct theses problems. The Verkests allege that Janssen Pharmaceuticals was aware, or should have been aware of the Risperdal side effects.

The Verkests Risperdal male breast growth lawsuit is not the first of its kind, which may take the form of a group lawsuit such as a multidistrict litigation (MDL) or mass tort. MDLs are similar in some ways to class action lawsuits.

In both class action lawsuits and MDLs, a group of plaintiffs allege that they have suffered similar harm at the hands of the same defendant. However, in a class action lawsuit, individuals file the lawsuit as a group lawsuit from the very beginning, while MDLs start out as group of individual lawsuits which are later coordinated into a single coordinated legal proceeding for a time, but are ultimately treated separately.

The difference between class action lawsuits and MDLs is a big part of why MDLs are more common in drug lawsuits than class action lawsuits. The plaintiffs in drug lawsuits often have injuries that vary, which makes a class action lawsuit an unrealistic option. The Risperdal MDL is being coordinated through a court in Pennsylvania.

The Risperdal Male Breast Growth Lawsuit is Benjamin A. Verkest, et al., v. Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc., et al., Case No. 14CV0106 JM JMA, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California. It could be included in the Risperdal MDL, In Re: Risperdal, Case No. 100300296, in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas.