NEW YORK, March 1, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Janssen Pharmaceuticals is seeking to impose stricter requirements on new plaintiffs who file Risperdal lawsuits in the Pennsylvania mass tort program currently underway in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas. According to a report published on February 24^th by The Legal Intelligencer, the drug maker wishes to have new filers include medical and prescription records with their Plaintiff Fact Sheets. However, plaintiffs' attorneys have characterized Janssen's request as an attempt to rewrite the rules that comes too late in the litigation. (In Re: Risperdal Litigation, Case ID: 100300296)

"Our Firm is representing numerous plaintiffs who allegedly developed gynecomastia due to their use of Risperdal, and we continue to receive inquiries from others interested in pursuing similar lawsuits. We will be monitoring this matter closely," said Sandy A. Liebhard, a partner at Bernstein Liebhard LLP, a nationwide law firm representing the victims of defective drugs and medical devices. The Firm continues to provide free legal reviews to individuals who allegedly developed gynecomastia due to their use of Risperdal.

Risperdal Gynecomastia Litigation

Risperdal is an atypical antipsychotic indicated to treat schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders in adults and children. It is also approved to treat irritability associated with autistic disorder in pediatric patients. Last November, Johnson & Johnson, Janssen's parent company, reported that at least 15,400 product liability claims had been filed in courts around the U.S. on behalf of individuals alleged to have suffered serious complications due to Risperdal. Around 2,000 of these cases are pending in the Philadelphia mass tort program.

Many of the pending Risperdal lawsuits were filed on behalf of men and boys who allegedly developed gynecomastia, or the growth of female-like breasts, due to Risperdal. They accuse Johnson & Johnson and Janssen of concealing data linking Risperdal to gynecomastia, and failing to provide doctors and patients with appropriate warnings regarding this potential side effect.

Since February 2015, the Pennsylvania mass tort program has convened six Risperdal trials that involved gynecomastia allegations. The most recent case concluded last July, with $70 million awarded to a teenager who experienced excessive breast growth shortly after he began taking the drug at the age of five. (Case No. 130402094)  The litigation's second-largest verdict - $2.5 million - came at the conclusion of the first gynecomastia trial in February 2015. (Case No. A-196444) A second case concluded in March 2015 without any damage award, after the jury determined that there was not enough evidence to conclude that Risperdal had caused the plaintiff's breast growth. However, jurors did agree that the safety warnings provided to patients and doctors were inadequate. (Case No. 130301803) In November 2015, a third gynecomastia plaintiff was awarded $1.75 million, although the Court later reduced the verdict to $680,000. (Case No. 130401990) A fourth Risperdal trial ended in December 2015 with a verdict for the plaintiff in the amount of $500,000. (Case No. 130401984)

This past December, the judge presiding over Pennsylvania's sixth Risperdal gynecomastia trial dismissed the case at its mid-point due to insufficient evidence. Several Risperdal lawsuits have also been resolved via confidential settlements just prior to trial.

Bernstein Liebhard LLP continues to provide free legal reviews to alleged victims of Risperdal and gynecomastia. To learn more about filing a Risperdal lawsuit, please contact Bernstein Liebhard LLP by visiting the Firm's website, or by calling 800-511-5092.

About Bernstein Liebhard LLP
Bernstein Liebhard LLP is a New York-based law firm exclusively representing injured persons in complex individual and class action lawsuits nationwide since 1993. As a national law firm, Bernstein Liebhard LLP possesses all of the legal and financial resources required to successfully challenge billion dollar pharmaceutical and medical device companies. As a result, our attorneys and legal staff have been able to recover more than $3.5 billion on behalf of our clients. Bernstein Liebhard LLP is honored to once again be named to The National Law Journal's "Plaintiffs' Hot List," recognizing the top plaintiffs firms in the country. This year's nomination marks the thirteenth year the firm has been named to this prestigious annual list.

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ATTORNEY ADVERTISING. © 2017 Bernstein Liebhard LLP. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Bernstein Liebhard LLP, 10 East 40th Street, New York, New York 10016, 800-511-5092. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter.

Contact Information:
Sandy A. Liebhard, Esq.
Bernstein Liebhard LLP
info (at)consumerinjurylawyers(dot)com
http://www.rxinjuryhelp.com/

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