New Jersey-based Levaquin Lawsuits May Be Consolidated

Trenton, NJThe various Levaquin antibiotic lawsuits that have been filed in the state of New Jersey due to Levaquin side effects may be consolidated before a single judge, according to a recent posting on AboutLawsuits.com. The alleged problems associated with Levaquin medicine and the resulting adverse affects are prompting many plaintiffs towards legal action.

As is the usual feature for class action lawsuits and consolidations, plaintiffs all appear to have similar complaints and allegations with regard to Levaquin (levofloxacin) and the potential for adverse effects involving tendons. Legal representatives close to the issue have suggested, according to AboutLawsuits.com, that there could literally be thousands of lawsuits citing similar complaints in the state of New Jersey alone.

Plaintiffs for Levaquin lawsuits claim the manufacturer, Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, failed to research its product adequately prior to bringing Levaquin to market in 1996 and failed to warn about adverse effects to the tendon. Those side effects include tendonitis and tendon rupture, particularly involving the Achilles tendon.

In July of last year the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) mandated a black box warning for levofloxacin and similar antibiotics with regard to tendon rupture and other tendon issues.

That warning came 12 years after Levaquin arrived.

In New Jersey, it is hoped that all Levaquin lawsuits will be centralized before Superior Court Judge Carol Higbee in Atlantic County. To that end the New Jersey Supreme Court has been asked to provide mass tort treatment.

It should be noted that multidistrict litigation was established in June of last year for all Levaquin actions filed in US federal district courts. The move consolidates the lawsuits for pretrial before US District Court Judge John Tunheim, in the district of Minnesota, and the first bellwether Levaquin trial is in the pipeline and on the books to commence in August of next year.

Levaquin is a robust antibiotic that has proven effective for fighting the various bacteria that causes infection. However, the Levaquin side effects that many experience have proven far worse than the health malady for which the Levaquin antibiotic was adopted in the first place. For some—John Fratti among them—the adverse reactions to Levaquin medicine have lasted far beyond the point at which the medication was stopped. The former pharmaceutical rep, still recovering from Levaquin-induced damage to his tendons and central nervous system, is waging a campaign to educate consumers as to the alleged perils of Levaquin.