California Couple Sues Pfizer for Lipitor Injuries

Maria had been prescribed Lipitor in 2006 after she was diagnosed with high blood pressure by her doctor. At the time, she was also taking other medication for her diabetic condition. It appeared the drug was working well until August 10, 2011 when Maria underwent an emergency surgery for a muscle biopsy. Several weeks later, it was discovered that Maria was suffering from severe muscle injuries, fatigue, memory loss and other neurological problems that her doctors said was directly caused by Lipitor.

According to the Lipitor lawsuit, at no point in time was the plaintiff, her husband or their physicians aware of these possible Lipitor side effects. Additionally, the defendant company allegedly made no effort to reach out or contact them about these side effects. The current Lipitor warning label does not currently describe or list the side effects that Maria experienced.

Maria claims that Pfizer knew or should have known about the possible Lipitor side effects, stating that company had the responsibility to warn patients if they were danger when using their product. The Padillas are suing Pfizer for being directly responsible for manufacturing, selling, distributing, and marketing a dangerous drug. The charges include negligence, false advertising, concealing information and misrepresenting a product.

Overview of Lipitor Complications

Lipitor (atorvastatin) is manufactured by Pfizer and is prescribed to millions of Americans around the country to treat their high cholesterol. It is currently the best-selling drug in pharmaceutical history, with $7.9 billion in annual sales. Lipitor was approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in 1996, and continues to be one of the most well-known medications in the world. Despite its extreme popularity, recent evidence suggests that this drug is not completely safe to use.

In recent years, there have been various studies conducted on Lipitor and other drugs in the statin family to test whether or not it causes patients to develop type-2 diabetes. The results indicated that patients have significantly higher chance of developing type-2 diabetes when they use statins, when compared to other drugs. Additionally, there have been thousands of injury reports to the FDA indicating the same result. A recent study published in the journal Sentinel indicated that 20 percent or more of patients using statins experience side effects similar to those suffered by Maria. 

At this time, Lipitor’s warning label has been updated to include some indication of type-2 diabetes, stating that it may cause incretin levels to rise. However, many have stated that this warning is insufficient because the message is complicated and ambiguous. In addition to the type-2 diabetes, the current Lipitor warning label does not indicate any of the side effects that the plaintiff suffered.

This case is labeled as Maria Rosa Padilla and Ramon D. Padilla v. Pfizer Inc., Case No. 2:13-cv-02016-KJM-EFB, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California.

File a Lipitor Lawsuit Today

If you believe that you or a loved one have been the victim of Lipitor type-2 diabetes development, you have legal options. Please visit the Lipitor Diabetes Class Action Lawsuit Investigation. There, you can submit your claim for a free legal review and if it qualifies for legal action, a seasoned Lipitor lawyer will contact you for a free, no-obligation consultation. You will be guided through the litigation process at no out-of-pocket expenses or hidden fees. The type-2 diabetes attorneys working this investigation do not get paid until you do.