Pharmaceutical Liability Litigation
- Content Reviewed by:
- Catherine Heacox
- Page Last Updated:
- December 11, 2025
Injuries caused by prescription drugs and medical devices represent an egregious betrayal of trust by pharmaceutical and medical device companies. Doctors and patients rely on pharmaceutical and medical device companies to provide accurate information about their products. Sadly, pharmaceutical and medical device companies often engage in a pattern of knowingly promoting unreasonably dangerous products without informing doctors or the public about the risks.
The resulting harm is devastating and widespread. This is why The Lanier Law Firm was one of the first to recognize that pharmaceutical companies must not be permitted to continue to evade accountability.
Pioneers in Pharmaceutical & Medical Device Liability Litigation
The Lanier Law Firm is unafraid to stand up to companies of any size because our attorneys believe the law applies equally to everyone, even large corporations such as pharmaceutical companies. Our results have proven this to be true.
VIOXX Lawsuits
Mark Lanier won the first-ever verdict against Merck and Co, Inc., manufacturers of the medication VIOXX, in the amount of $253 million on behalf of a widow whose husband, a marathon runner, died of heart complications after taking VIOXX for eight months.
This was a landmark verdict that helped our firm later negotiate a $4.85 billion settlement in nationwide VIOXX litigation. We also obtained a verdict in New Jersey upholding earlier verdicts that Merck committed consumer fraud by withholding information and misleading doctors about the drug’s cardiovascular risks.
Call 800-723-3216 now to see if our law firm can pursue compensation for you and your family. Consultations are free.
Defective Hip Implant Lawsuits
The Lanier Law Firm attorneys Mark Lanier, Alex J. Brown, M. Michelle Carreras, Dr. Robert Leone, and Kevin P. Parker won a combined verdict of over $1 billion in damages against DePuy and Johnson & Johnson Orthopaedics, Inc., followed by $247 million and $502 million verdicts.
These companies engaged in fraudulent and aggressive marketing practices, even paying kickbacks to doctors who used their implants. They withheld information about the risks created by their metal-on-metal design, which resulted in metal shavings damaging surrounding tissues. Safer materials, such as polyethylene and ceramic, existed at the time.
Nearly 200,000 hip implants, along with knee and ankle implants, from Exactech have been recalled due to potential premature degradation. The company has admitted that the packaging of these devices was inadequate going back to 2004. Lawsuits against Exactech are currently moving forward as multi-district litigation as of February 2023.
Opioid Lawsuits
For years, makers of addictive painkillers who misled doctors about their drugs’ addictive qualities have faced accountability for their part in the opioid crisis. While this was great progress, it was not enough.
Federal law requires pharmacies to refuse to dispense medications when specific red flags are present. Instead, pharmacies ignored red flags, which resulted in drastic oversupplies of opiates in the communities. This led to high death tolls and increased crime.
In 2022, The Lanier Law Firm played a pivotal role in holding pharmacies accountable for their roles in the opioid epidemic’s impact on two counties in Ohio by winning a historical jury verdict against three large pharmacies.
This case is expected to pave the way for other affected municipalities to hold pharmacies accountable. In fact, a few months after we won this verdict, The Lanier Law Firm attorney Dara Hegar successfully negotiated a $1.85 billion settlement in a similar case in Houston. We are currently involved with several of these cases.
Historic Verdicts and Settlements
Below is a small sample of the additional verdicts and settlements we have achieved on behalf of our clients.
- Verdict exceeding $9 billion against Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. and Eli Lilly & Co. over the diabetes drug Actos, where the company failed to inform the public about the risk of bladder cancer for seven years
- Combined nationwide total verdicts of $7.25 billion against C.R. Bard and other manufacturers of transvaginal mesh who manufactured a dangerous product and failed to warn the public of the potential of damage to internal organs
- Combined settlements against Pfizer, the maker of Chantix, for $273 million, for failing to provide warnings about the risk of psychological side effects, including suicidal thoughts
- Our firm’s extensive experience also includes current litigation and successful claims involving the following drugs and medical devices:
- Avandia
- Bard Composix Kugel Mesh Patch
- Bard PowerPort Catheter
- Bextra
- Celebrex
- Depakote
- Depo-Provera
- Digitek
- Fosamax
- GLP-1 Drugs – Ozempic, Wegovy
- Levaquin
- Lipitor
- Medtronic Sprint Fidelis Lead Wires
- Mirena
- Heparin Sodium USP
- Ortho Evra Patch
- Oxbryta
- Paxil
- Propecia
- Tepezza
- Topamax
- Vioxx
- Yasmin, Yaz or Ocella
- Zicam
- Zoloft
- Zyprexa
- Tylenol
Holding pharmaceutical companies liable will ensure that victims receive just and fair compensation and protect patients from future harm. We have made vast progress.
Featured Pharmaceutical Liability Attorneys
Our clients know they have access to lawyers with the legal prowess to fight effectively against large corporations. Big money has no advantage over anyone represented by an attorney from The Lanier Law Firm.
Dara Hegar
Dara Hegar joined The Lanier Law Firm in 1999 and has represented clients across the nation. She specializes in managing complex litigation and providing insights during trials that result in significant verdicts and settlements.
Evan M. Janush
Named a Super Lawyer by Thomas Reuters and named a Top 100 trial lawyer, Evan Janush’s experience with mass tort litigation has placed him at the forefront of product liability law for many years. Evan oversees the pharmaceutical and product liability mass tort litigation practice at The Lanier Law Firm.
Catherine Heacox
For three decades, Catherine Heacox has represented individuals injured by dangerous drugs and products, medical negligence and toxic exposure. She has focused her practice on complex civil litigation including pharmaceutical and product liability mass tort actions, personal injury actions and environmental injury matters. Through her tireless efforts, the rights of numerous injured people are vindicated.
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- Passionate legal advocates with decades of trial experience
- Over $20 billion recovered for our clients
- No upfront costs or fees
Catherine Heacox specializes in pharmaceutical liability, personal injury, and product liability. Recognized by Super Lawyers as New York Metro Super Lawyer since 2013, Catherine has extensive experience in MDL and mass tort litigation.
