If you were given the chemotherapy drug Taxotere and you experienced severe side effects like epiphora or canalicular stenosis as a result, take Hotze Runkle PLLC‘s quiz today. Our Illinois Taxotere lawsuit layers understand the lasting impact these harmful conditions can have on your life and want to find out if we can help you.
Undergoing chemo treatment causes unpleasant side effects that negatively impact your general happiness and ability to enjoy life. No one should experience additional problems from a drug designed to treat their cancer. We’ll stay by your side throughout the legal process and provide any emotional support you need. You can feel confident knowing we’ll fight hard to seek the financial compensation you deserve.
Is There A Relationship Between Taxotere and Canalicular Stenosis?
Taxotere is a chemotherapy drug developed by the pharmaceutical company Sanofi-Aventis. Its primary use is to prevent cancer cells from growing and spreading throughout the body. It’s useful in treating breast cancer but also proved helpful in treating other types of cancer. Depending on the severity of the disease, you could undergo treatment once a week, biweekly, or every three weeks. However, thousands of lawsuits noted the side effects after developing a debilitating medical condition.
Watery eyes, blurry vision, and swollen eyelids are just a few of the bothersome symptoms patients experienced after completing their Taxotere treatment. Whether you took the chemo drug once a week or once every three weeks, you could develop symptoms of canalicular stenosis.
When functioning correctly, the canaliculus funnels tears through the tear ducts and to the nasal passage. If it becomes blocked or obstructed from an infection or inflammation, it causes excessive tearing and watery eyes. If you don’t seek treatment from an ophthalmologist, it could lead to canalicular stenosis.
Studies show epiphora develops during Taxotere chemo treatment. Epiphora is a medical condition that leads to excessive eye-watering. That might seem like a minor inconvenience; however, it could affect someone’s ability to perform routine tasks, such as driving or applying makeup. An individual’s tears interact with Taxotere as they travel through the ducts and surrounding eye structures. The tears’ direct contact with Taxotere could lead to an infection and chronic inflammation, which, in turn, causes epiphora.
If a doctor doesn’t evaluate and treat epiphora early enough, it could develop into canalicular stenosis, a permanent and irreversible medical condition. Individuals who received Taxotere for their breast cancer treatment are at risk for the following symptoms:
- Excessive tearing
- Dry eyes
- Eye infections
- Blurred vision
- Clouding of the eye lens
- Headaches
- Sensitivity to light
- Cystoid macular edema
- Swollen eyelids
If a physician monitors your epiphora in its early stages, the symptoms are manageable. As symptoms worsen, complete closure of the canaliculi could block your tears from passing correctly through the nasal passage to your nose. Closure of this vital structure disables your eye’s ability to function as usual.
Is There A Cure for Canalicular Stenosis?
Unfortunately, severe cases of canalicular stenosis are incurable. DCR, dacryocystorhinostomy, is a procedure used to manage the symptoms. However, it’s an expensive and invasive surgery that could do more harm than good. The surgeon places a stent for tears to flow through, avoiding the obstructed tear duct altogether. When performed correctly, DCR assists in the proper production and travel of tears.
Like any medical procedure, there are risks. Your age and the existence of certain health conditions could exacerbate the side effects of undergoing DCR. Some of the problems you could encounter include:
- Facial scars
- Excessive bleeding
- Infections
- Blindness
- Displaced stent, leading to issues with the eye
- Abnormally fused tissue
The injustice of developing debilitating symptoms from a chemo drug is disgraceful. A company that provided you with a cure for your disease hid relevant information from you. Beating cancer then finding out you’re facing a new set of challenges is unsettling. The Illinois Taxotere lawsuit lawyers from Hotze Runkle PLLC take our clients’ mistreatment seriously. We believe in holding the negligent party accountable for their decisions.
Can I File A Lawsuit Against Sanofi-Aventis?
Sanofi-Aventis and the FDA released warnings about adverse reactions of Taxotere in 2014. That was the first time breast cancer patients and survivors heard that watery eyes were a possible side effect. After disclosing those warnings, a former Sanofi-Aventis employee alleged that the manufacturer paid doctors to prescribe Taxotere for reasons the FDA had not approved.
If you suffered symptoms of epiphora or canalicular stenosis, you could be owed significant compensation. The decision to take legal action is an overwhelming feeling for anyone. If you’re inexperienced with these types of situations, you might not know how to begin the process. It’s the job of your trial lawyer to ensure your rights are protected, and you’re treated fairly throughout your case.
When you hire our Illinois Taxotere lawsuit lawyers, we will handle all the legal aspects of your case while you focus on your recovery. You won’t be alone during this traumatic time in your life. We’ll provide any necessary emotional support and keep you informed of the progress of your lawsuit. We know it’s important that you understand the legal road you face. We’ll be happy to answer all your questions and explain the procedures along the way.
Can I Handle My Lawsuit Without A Lawyer?
You could try to file a lawsuit against Sanofi-Aventis yourself. However, we don’t advise that. Trial lawyers use their extensive experience and resources in cases like yours. You must follow strict deadlines and laws to ensure the best possible outcome. The statute of limitations for product liability in Illinois is two years. That means legal action must get brought against the manufacturer within two years from the date your injury occurred. If two years pass and you haven’t filed suit, you lose all rights to file, now, or in the future.
If you never filed a lawsuit before, it’s a confusing legal road to navigate. With the deadlines, discovery requests, and court appearances, it’s tempting to accept a low settlement offer to close out your case as quickly as possible. With an Illinois Taxotere lawsuit lawyer by your side, you’ll feel confident knowing the financial compensation for your pain and suffering is entirely adequate.
What Expenses Could My Settlement Cover?
Illinois enacted specific laws in product liability cases. There are different types of expenses your settlement could cover, as well as maximum caps on the amount of money you could receive. When you file a lawsuit, your injury, treatment, and expenses are weight to determine your eligibility for economic and noneconomic damages. Economic damages are actual expenses, such as medical bills and lost wages. Noneconomic damages are intangible suffering, such as stress and chronic pain.
In the state of Illinois, the maximum compensation for noneconomic damages is up to $280,000. If your injury is permanent or prevents proper function of a vital part of the body, the maximum compensation is up to $500,000. The economic and noneconomic damages in a product liability lawsuit include:
- Medical Bills: Any treatment deemed necessary by a medical professional, such as surgery, ER visits, and prescription medicine.
- Pain and Suffering: Any significant or severe physical pain that prevents you from performing routine tasks.
- Lost Wages: Past and future pay you’re unable to earn because your injuries prevent you from returning to work.
- Emotional Distress: Emotional trauma caused by the injury or ongoing treatment, such as shock, stress, anxiety, and depression.
- Wrongful Death: If an individual dies as a result of their injury, their loved ones could seek compensation for expenses like funeral and burial costs.
Your settlement amount depends on various factors relating to your injury and the amount of treatment you need. If you experienced severe effects after taking Taxotere, you could receive more compensation than if you suffered from minor symptoms.
Hire An Experienced Illinois Taxotere Lawsuit Lawyer
Hotze Runkle PLLC believes in listening to our clients’ individualized needs to create the right plan of action. When you hire us, we will treat you like family. Client service is something we take seriously. Our clients are a priority to us, and it shows in how we approach every meeting and phone call. We’re available 24/7, so you’re able to reach us at a time that’s most convenient for you. You can depend on our honesty, open communication, and professionalism at all times.
Our Illinois Taxotere lawsuit lawyers understand the emotional, physical, and financial stress you are facing. You’re trying to recover and worried about taking on additional expenses. That’s why we offer free consultations, and we represent all of our clients on a contingency fee basis. This means that we won’t collect any payment until we win your case. There’s no fee to meet with us and discuss the details of your case. We won’t pressure you into making any decisions you’re not ready to make. We’ll gladly provide any legal advice you need and inform you of your options moving forward.
If Taxotere caused your epiphora or canalicular stenosis symptoms, take our Taxotere quiz to see if you qualify to sign on with us to represent you.