Have you taken Zantac or its generic, Ranitidine? And, have you subsequently been diagnosed with cancer? If so, you will probably be interested in the ongoing Zantac lawsuit.
On 1 April 2020, the US FDA withdrew Zantac because studies showed that the medication and its generic Ranitidine, contain the carcinogen NDMA. This carcinogen has been linked to cancer in both animals and humans.
What is Zantac?
Zantac and Ranitidine are histamine-2 blockers that are designed to reduce the amount of acid your stomach produces.
It was used to treat and prevent ulcers in the intestines and stomach as well as Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, a rare condition where tumors form in your pancreas and duodenum. These tumors secrete large amounts of the hormone gastrin, which in turn, results in your stomach producing too much acid. Finally, Zantac was also used to treat Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, a condition where stomach acid backs up into the esophagus, causing heartburn.
What is a medical malpractice lawsuit?
The abpla.org website states that medical malpractice occurs when a “hospital, doctor or other health care professional, through a negligent act or omission, causes an injury to a patient.”
This negligence is caused by the “result of errors in diagnosis, treatment, aftercare or health management.”
At this juncture, it is essential to note that it is not easy to prove medical malpractice. And, if the amount claimed in lieu of the damage is small, then it is not worth filing a malpractice claim.
Furthermore, a malpractice lawsuit must have the following provable elements:
- A violation of the minimum standard of care requirements.
- The injury resulted in significant financial damages.
- The injury was caused by malpractice on the part of the medical specialist, hospital, or pharmaceutical company
The Zantac medical malpractice lawsuit
Now that we have an understanding of the basics of a medical malpractice lawsuit, and what Zantac is, let’s look at the specifics of this Zantac lawsuit.
This lawsuit is not a class action lawsuit where the plaintiff represents a group of people and not individual victims. This Zantac lawsuit is a group of individual lawsuits by the victims or plaintiffs against the drugmaker.
It is also important to be aware of the fact is that there is a statute of limitations on this lawsuit. This statute is different for each US state, but victims in most states have up to two years to file a lawsuit against Sanofi, the company that sold Ranitidine-based products. This caveat here is that victims must have developed one or more cancers like bladder cancer, breast cancer, liver cancer, lung cancer (for non-smokers), and stomach cancer after taking Ranitidine.
Final thoughts
As described above, it is important to remember that medical malpractice claims take a long time to proceed through the courts or to reach a settlement. Consequently, they are very costly. Therefore, it is only worth filing a claim against a medical practitioner, in this case, the drugmaker or company that sold the Ranitidine derivatives, if you are 100% certain that this is a case worth fighting and you have a reasonable chance of winning.
Finally, it appears that, based on the cost of cancer caused by the carcinogen NDMA, including the medical bills, emotional distress, loss of income, and in worst cases, the loss of life versus the strong evidence, there is a good chance of winning this lawsuit.