NEW YORK, March 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Johnson & Johnson's legal costs grew by 480% last year, as Risperdal lawsuits and legal claims involving a number of other products continued to mount in 2016. According to a report that recently appeared in the Financial Times, more than 107,000 product liability claims were pending against Johnson & Johnson by the start of 2017, including more than 28,000 that were filed in 2016. Over 18,000 of the pending cases involve  Risperdal, including many that allege the antipsychotic drug caused men and boys to develop gynecomastia, a condition marked by the growth of female-like breasts.

"Over the past several years, we have heard from numerous individuals interested in pursuing Risperdal gynecomastia claims, and our Firm still receives inquiries from prospective plaintiffs on a fairly regular basis. We are not at all surprised that this litigation continues to contribute to Johnson & Johnson's litigation costs," 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 men and boys who allegedly experienced excessive breast growth due to their use of the antipsychotic medication.

Risperdal Litigation

Risperdal is an atypical antipsychotic drug  currently indicated to treat certain psychiatric disorders in adults and children. It was brought to market in the early 1990s, and received U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approval for its first pediatric indications in 2006. Plaintiffs pursuing Risperdal lawsuits over gynecomastia claim that Johnson & Johnson and its Janssen Pharmaceuticals unit concealed data linking its use to excessive male breast growth, and failed to provide doctors and patients with appropriate warnings regarding this risk. They also claim that the companies wrongly marketed Risperdal to treat children long before U.S. regulators approved the drug for any pediatric uses.

Risperdal litigations are underway in a number of state courts, including Missouri, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Over the past two years, the mass tort program established for Risperdal lawsuits in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas has convened a number of trials. Several have concluded with verdicts in favor of plaintiffs, with judgments ranging from $500,000 to $70 million. Confidential Risperdal settlements have also been reached in some cases just prior to trial. (In Re: Risperdal Litigation, Case ID: 100300296)

Risperdal patients who experienced the growth of female-like breasts while using the medication may be able to pursue a lawsuit of their own. To learn more, 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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800-511-5092

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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SOURCE Bernstein Liebhard LLP

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