Zocor Lawsuit Settlements: How Much?

A number of former patients of the cholesterol-reducing statin drug Zocor have experienced one or more of the drug’s side effects, which for the most part include two forms of Zocor muscle injury-related disease: myopathy and rhabdomyolysis. Rhabdomyolysis is the more serious of the two, because if it is left untreated it can lead to kidney damage and kidney failure, and even death in some cases. Myopathy is a condition characterized by the breakdown of muscle fibers. Rhabdomyolysis is linked to myopathy in the sense that when muscle fibers break down, they release a chemical into the bloodstream. The kidney, which helps to filter the blood, cannot process this chemical. As a result, kidney damage can ensue.

Symptoms of Zocor side effects include inflamed and painful joints, joint stiffness, dark colored urine, and muscle weakness. Patients of Zocor rhabdomyolysis who are experiencing any of these symptoms should talk to their physician right away.
The physician may recommend discontinuing use of the drug. Treatment is extremely important for patients who want to file personal injury lawsuits, because it is a definite factor in whether or not a plaintiff will be awarded a significant settlement. A judge and jury will observe right away whether or not a patient has pursued treatment for his or her side effects. 

Time is also important because a lawsuit can be limited by a statute of limitations, which limits the time a plaintiff has to file a lawsuit. It is not clear how much of a settlement a patient is likely to get, because there are a number of factors that may contribute to what kind of settlement a plaintiff is likely to receive. The nature, extent, and severity of an injury can certainly have an impact, as can state law and proximity to the statute of limitations. It is impossible for even a legal expert to accurately determine exactly how likely it is that compensation will be paid, and if compensation is given how much it might be. The only thing a plaintiff can do is observe how similar cases are played out, but even this is no guarantee of what exactly might happen during an individual lawsuit.

Because Zocor lawsuits are not currently consolidated in multidistrict litigation, it is important for a potential plaintiff who is looking to take legal action talk to a personal injury lawyer as quickly as possible so that he or she will avoid being stopped by the statute of limitations.