Accutane Lawsuit Filings in New Jersey State Court Hit 3,000
There are now at least 3,000 Accutane lawsuits that have been filed in New Jersey state court alleging that makers of the acne medication failed to adequately warn about the risk of serious and debilitating bowel problems from Accutane.
All of the New Jersey state court lawsuits over Accutane and generic versions have been consolidated as a mass tort in Atlantic County before Judge Carol Higbee.
According to the most recent case list released by the New Jersey courts, the first Accutane lawsuit was filed on September 23, 2004 and the 3,000th case was filed earlier this month, on February 9, 2011. All of the cases involve similar allegations, that the drug makers failed to adequately research the potential side effects of Accutane or warn about the potential risk of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.
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Learn MoreThe number of Accutane lawsuit filings in New Jersey has grown dramatically over the past nine months, more than tripling since May 2010.
Accutane (isotretinoin) has been used by more than 16 million people worldwide since it was first introduced in the early 1980s as a treatment for severe acne. Roche discontinued Accutane in June 2009 due to the increasing costs associated with the Accutane litigation, but a number of generic versions remain available under names such as Claravis, Sotret, Amnesteem and generic isotretinoin.
So far, Roche has lost all six cases that have reached a jury, with millions of dollars in Accutane compensation being awarded to individuals who have suffered bowel problems from Accutane.
Following a 2007 trial in New Jersey state court, Roche was able to successfully overturn a jury’s award of $2.62 million in compensation awarded to a man who developed inflammatory bowel problems. However, that case was retried earlier this year and another New Jersey jury awarded the same man more than $25 million.
In August, the New Jersey Superior Court Appellate Division reversed an Accutane damage award of $10.5 million originally issued at a 2008 trial. That case was remanded back to the trial court for a new trial.
A trial is scheduled to begin this month before Judge Higbee involving three Accutane suits, including one brought by actor James Marshall, who portrayed a marine on trial for murder in “A Few Good Men.” A number of well-known Hollywood stars, such as Martin Sheen, Brian Dennehy and Rob Reiner, are expected to testify on behalf of Marshall. Marshall claims that a severe Accutane bowel injury resulted in the removal of his colon, ruining his acting career.
The number of Accutane complaints filed in New Jersey has continued to increase as former users discover that there may be a connection between their bowel problems and Accutane. Awareness of the link has increased following news coverage of several Accutane trials and television advertisements by Accutane lawyers who are reviewing potential lawsuits.
6 Comments
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DavidApril 21, 2011 at 10:40 pm
I'm about to get Millions, and you can keep prescribing this harmful dangerous drug to people in Greece while I'll collect my millions and you can further go on damaging peoples intestines so you can make a quick, sleazy dollar. You Bruise much...You Lose much....
DavidApril 21, 2011 at 10:38 pm
I took Accutane 10 years ago and three months after I started taking I got diagnosed with Crohn's disease, with no family history of Crohn's disease in my family. There is no doubt that Accutance brought this disease on, and I currently have a lawsuit filed against the Accutane manufacturers in this same New Jersey court system. You are wrong sir!!!
debMarch 18, 2011 at 12:31 am
Well maybe US HEALTHY HAPPY TEENS WHO SUDDENLY FOR NO REASON DEVELOPED A INTESTINAL PROBLEM THAT RESULTED IN DESTROYING THE REST OF OUR LIVES DID NOT EVEN THINK FOR A MINUTE THAT SOME DRUG THEY TOOK FOR A FEW MONTHS AND FORGOT ABOUT, COULD HAVE CAUSED THIS UNBEARABLE DISEASE UNTIL A TV LAWYER POINTED OUT THIS PROBLEM AND THEN WE THINK HMM 20 YEARS AGO I WAS HEALTHY THEN I TOOK THAT DRUG AND WAS SI[Show More]Well maybe US HEALTHY HAPPY TEENS WHO SUDDENLY FOR NO REASON DEVELOPED A INTESTINAL PROBLEM THAT RESULTED IN DESTROYING THE REST OF OUR LIVES DID NOT EVEN THINK FOR A MINUTE THAT SOME DRUG THEY TOOK FOR A FEW MONTHS AND FORGOT ABOUT, COULD HAVE CAUSED THIS UNBEARABLE DISEASE UNTIL A TV LAWYER POINTED OUT THIS PROBLEM AND THEN WE THINK HMM 20 YEARS AGO I WAS HEALTHY THEN I TOOK THAT DRUG AND WAS SICK WITH NO ONE INCLUDING SPECIALISTS EVEN KNOWING WHAT COULD HAVE CAUSED THIS SINCE NO ONE IN MY FAMILY HAD ANYTHING LIKE IT..
DaveMarch 10, 2011 at 4:51 am
Contantinos you are obviously in the medical profession and are not a lawyer.
ConstantinosFebruary 25, 2011 at 10:57 pm
I have prescribed Accutane in more than 1200 patients, 15 years now. It is a wonderful drug. Not a single case of IBD till now! I can't understand why all these cases come from USA. Recently minocycline, a widely prescribed antibiotic in acne patients, has been proposed causing IBD too. I believe that THERE IS NOT a single clue which connects Accutane with IBD. IF THERE IS A RELATION, it is betw[Show More]I have prescribed Accutane in more than 1200 patients, 15 years now. It is a wonderful drug. Not a single case of IBD till now! I can't understand why all these cases come from USA. Recently minocycline, a widely prescribed antibiotic in acne patients, has been proposed causing IBD too. I believe that THERE IS NOT a single clue which connects Accutane with IBD. IF THERE IS A RELATION, it is between ACNE ITSELF AND IBD. But this requires big studies to be proved. GREETINGS FROM GREECE
daveFebruary 24, 2011 at 5:25 pm
Why has Roche not had any lawsuits concerning the long term damage from their Pegasys and Copegasys? There are numerous people online who have been devastated by this Hepatitis C treatment. Years after treatment they are experiencing continued and severe joint/muscle pain and fatigue, thyroid problems, and some memory loss.