Risperdal Lawsuit News: Arkansas Supreme Court Hears Johnson & Johnson Appeal of $1.2 Billion Risperdal Verdict, Bernstein Liebhard LLP Reports.

NEW YORK, Feb. 28, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- As Risperdal lawsuits (http://www.risperdallawsuitcenter.com/) that allege the medication caused gynecomastia (male breast growth) and other serious side effects continue to mount in courts around the country, Bernstein Liebhard LLP reports that the Arkansas Supreme Court has now heard Oral Arguments in Johnson & Johnson's appeal of a Risperdal verdict that resulted in a $1.2 billion judgment being awarded to the state in 2011. The Risperdal lawsuit in question was filed by the Arkansas Attorney General in 2007, and accused Johnson & Johnson and its Janssen Pharmaceutical unit of improperly marketing the atypical antipsychotic. (State of Arkansas v. Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc., CV07-15345)

In arguments yesterday before the Arkansas Supreme Court, an attorney for Johnson & Johnson asserted that the trial judge who oversaw the Risperdal lawsuit had misapplied the law, and maintained that there was no fraud or improper reimbursements for Medicaid patients who were prescribed the drug. In presenting its case, an attorney representing the State of Arkansas denied Johnson & Johnson's assertions, and insisted the defendants committed fraud by failing to properly communicate Risperdal's risks and marketing the medication for off-label use.

The attorney representing Arkansas also pointed out that 65 of the state's legislators from both parties had signed an Amicus Brief in support of the verdict. A group of 35 state attorneys general also filed their own Amicus Brief asking the Court to uphold the 2011 judgment.

"Many of the Risperdal gynecomastia lawsuits currently pending in courts around the country also raise questions about the tactics used to drive sales of the medication. We will be watching this case with great interest," says Bernstein Liebhard LLP, a nationwide law firm representing the victims of defective drugs and medical devices. The Firm is currently offering free legal consultations to young men and boys who allegedly developed gynecomastia, or male breast growth, due to their use of Risperdal.

Risperdal Lawsuits

Court records indicate that more than 200 Risperdal lawsuits have been filed on behalf of patients who allegedly suffered gynecomastia and other serious side effects related to their use of the medication. Most of those claims have been filed in a consolidated litigation now underway in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas in Pennsylvania.  Among other things, plaintiffs accuse Johnson & Johnson and Janssen of improperly marketing Risperdal for use in children long before pediatric indications were approved in 2006. (Risperdal Litigation, case number 100300296)

This past November, the companies agreed to pay $2.2 billion to settle similar charges brought by the U.S. Department of Justice involving Risperdal and other medications. Under the terms of the settlement, the drug makers entered a guilty plea to one criminal misdemeanor charge involving the illegal promotion of Risperdal for use in elderly dementia patients. However, they did not admit wrongdoing in resolving civil charges over the alleged marketing of the drug for pediatric uses.

Alleged victims of Risperdal gynecomastia may be entitled to compensation for their medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, emotional distress and more. For more information on filing a Risperdal lawsuit, please visit Bernstein Liebhard LLP's website. To arrange for a free case review, please contact the Firm directly by calling (888) 340-4807.

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, including those who have been harmed by dangerous drugs, defective medical devices and consumer products. The firm has been named by The National Law Journal to the "Plaintiffs' Hot List," recognizing the top plaintiffs' firms in the country, for the past 11 consecutive years.

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Contact Information: 
Felecia L. Stern, Esq.
Bernstein Liebhard LLP
info (at) consumerinjurylawyers (dot) com
http://www.risperdallawsuitcenter.com/ 
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SOURCE Bernstein Liebhard LLP