Levaquin Suit Filed in Texas
Another class action suit has been filed against Johnson & Johnson, bringing allegations that the antibiotic Levaquin caused a Texas resident to suffer permanent tendon damage.
Thirty-one-year-old Lisa Presley filed her suit on April 8th in the Eastern District of Texas U.S. District Court. The suit names Johnson & Johnson, Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research and Development LLC as defendants to Presley's claim.
The focus of the lawsuit is the claim that Presley's severe and permanent injury to her Achilles tendon was caused by taking Levaquin. All of Johnson & Johnson's Levaquin carries FDA mandated warnings, explaining the risk of tendonitis and tendon injuries such as tears or bursting when taking the medication. However, Presley asserts in her lawsuit that the risk of these potentially severe injuries is not accurately stressed by the labeling and literature associated with the product.
Levaquin, on the market since 1997, is part of the fluroquinolone class of antibiotics. It is a common tool used to treat infections such as bronchitis and sinusitis, as well as other bacterial infections such as prostatitis and upper urinary tract infection.
In her suit, Presley accuses Johnson & Johnson of negligence, failure to warn, fraud, breach of express and implied warranty, knowing violation of consumer protection laws in promoting a known defective product and unjust enrichment. She asserts that the entire class of fluroquinolone drugs is known to cause serious and adverse side effects, and that earlier versions have been withdrawn from the market while Levaquin has not.
The Texas native is asking for her medical expenses and loss of income to be reimbursed by the defendants. She also requests compensation for a number of factors such as her ongoing disability, disfigurement, anguish, pain and suffering and physical limitation.
Similar drugs in the same class, such as Cipro, have been known to cause similar effects to Levaquin.
