According to MedlinePlus, acetaminophen is used to relieve pain from headaches, colds and sore throats, muscle aches, menstrual periods, backaches, toothaches, reactions to vaccinations (shots), and to reduce fever.
Acetaminophen is one of the most common painkillers used in the United States, but new research has shown that it may be linked to autism. If you or a loved one was born with autism and was prescribed Tylenol during pregnancy, you may be able to file an acetaminophen autism lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson and other companies that manufacture this drug.
In this post, we’ll go over everything you need to know about filing an acetaminophen autism lawsuit in 2023.
Acetaminophen Autism Lawsuit
If you or a loved one was diagnosed with autism after exposure to acetaminophen during pregnancy, you might be able to file an Acetaminophen Lawsuit.
An acetaminophen autism lawsuit is a legal claim filed against the manufacturers of acetaminophen (Tylenol) by individuals who are suffering from autism-related symptoms as a result of their usage of the drug acetaminophen during pregnancy.
The purpose of the lawsuits is to hold these companies accountable for their negligence in failing to warn women about the risks associated with taking this medication while pregnant or breastfeeding.
Why Are Acetaminophen and Autism Linked
Acetaminophen is a pain reliever that can be purchased over the counter. As reported in News Nation, a study by the National Institute of Health (NIH) says that exposure to acetaminophen in the womb may increase a child’s risk for autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
Furthermore, acetaminophen crosses the placenta and can enter your baby’s bloodstream before birth. This means that even if you were taking it after conception, but before realizing that you were pregnant, there’s still a risk of causing harm to your fetus.
How Would I Know If My Child Is Autistic
The signs of autism are varied and can be difficult to identify. The signs may not appear until your child is around two years old, but some may start to show earlier or later than that.
If you suspect that your child might have autism, take them to see their doctor as soon as possible. Autistic children suffer from the following:
- Delay in speech: Your child may not say words by the time he/she is two years old or even later. This can particularly be a problem if it goes on for a long time without any explanation from the parent or caretaker.
- Unusual behavior: Autistic children tend to do things differently than other children do at their age level, like playing alone repeatedly or repeating actions over and over again without responding when someone talks to them.
- Hyperactive: An autistic child may also be hyperactive (restless), which interferes with his/her social development skills such as eye contact, pointing gestures while talking, etcetera.
What Types of Damages/Compensation Are Recoverable in an Acetaminophen Autism Lawsuit
If the court finds it in your favor, you may be able to recover compensation for
- Medical expenses. These are all costs related to treating the child’s condition. These can include therapy and medical treatment.
- Pain and suffering. This is a subjective measure of how much pain the child suffered from having autism, which can be difficult to quantify in monetary terms.
- Loss of consortium. This is an economic measure of how much less income or assets you have as a result of caring for your autistic child instead of working outside the home.
- Future medical expenses related to treating conditions caused by Acetaminophen exposure during pregnancy that requires ongoing care beyond the age of 18
Are There Time Limits on Filing an Acetaminophen Autism Lawsuit
If you want to get the most out of your Acetaminophen Autism lawsuit, it’s important to know that there are time limits on filing a lawsuit. The statute of limitations varies from state to state and will depend on the nature of your claim.
A lawyer can help you figure out how long they have to file a lawsuit in your particular jurisdiction.
Class Action Lawsuit Involving Acetaminophen and Autism
According to Reuters, a mass tort litigation has been created by a federal judicial panel for claims accusing Walmart Inc, Costco Wholesale Corp, and other major retailers of acetaminophen for failing to warn that using acetaminophen during pregnancy can cause attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder in children.
You may be able to join a class action lawsuit if you or a loved one has been affected by Acetaminophen. In a class action suit, multiple people can join together as plaintiffs and file their case against the person or company they are suing.
Why is this important? Because joining together with other people who have been harmed in similar ways makes it easier for everyone involved. It takes less time, costs less money, and provides more support than filing your case would.
Conclusion
Acetaminophen Autism Lawsuit has the potential to be a huge class action lawsuit, but you must know how to file one.
If you or someone you know was diagnosed with autism as a result of taking acetaminophen while pregnant and believe that the condition could have been avoided if they were never exposed to this drug, then we encourage you to contact your attorneys today before time runs out.