The study of the effects of drugs on the human bio-chemical system is very important to determining the liability of drug manufacturers, or medical providers. For example, in one case, our client was treated at a hospital for severe injuries to his hand. After emergency surgery he was admitted to the hospital. Several hours later, while recovering from surgery he was discovered by the nursing staff in a coma. He eventually awoke from the coma, but had suffered so much brain damage, he is now a quadriplegic. The hospital investigation concluded that the reason he went into a coma was a mystery. The hospital argued that review of all medications administered and evaluations performed were appropriate. When we were asked to review the case, the first thing we did was review the medication administration records. We quickly learned that he was given large (but normal) amounts of morphine for the pain. However, he was also given oral Valium at the same time. Both of these medications alone have the effect of suppressing the Central Nervous System. When combined, they increase that effect dramatically that they can induce a coma.

The manufacturer of the morphine and the self dispensing equipment given to the patient did not warn of this problem. Eventually we recovered several million dollars on the case. Understanding how these drugs work and our experience helps us to understand how drug manufacturers test, or fail to test drugs adequately before promoting them to market.

The pharmaceutical business is extremely competitive and highly profitable. To the pharmaceutical manufacturer, the profit to be made from just one successful drug far outweighs the cost that the company may have to pay in damages to someone who is adversely affected by the drug. This 'cost versus benefit' way of thinking has allowed drug companies to place drugs on the market that they know can have serious life threatening consequences to certain people. The problem is that the companies have been allowed to police themselves and almost always understate the number of people affected by the known complications when reporting to the FDA for approval. The FDA is pressured into giving approval and the company's cash register starts charging.

The lawyers who take on these companies and their practices have developed a keen understanding of the pharmaceutical business and what we need to prove to beat them at their own game. The task is monumental, but the cause is more than worthy.