Reglan Lawsuit Settlements Depend on History, Other Medications

Many former users of the gastrointestinal drug Reglan are now suffering from one of the pharmaceutical industry’s most damaging and lasting side effects of Reglan – tardive dyskinesia. The neurological movement disorder is brought on by drugs like metoclopramide and manifests with symptoms including uncontrollable movements of muscles in the face and limbs. There is no known treatment or cure for tardive dyskinesia.




It is not surprising that many patients who have been affected by this disorder have chosen to file Reglan lawsuits against manufacturers of Reglan and generic metoclopramide, seeking to gain compensation for costs such as medical bills and lost wages that may have been incurred as a result of their side effects. Unfortunately for the defendants, Reglan has been definitively linked to tardive dyskinesia and other neurological movement disorders including ocular deviation, blepharospasm, akathisia, and neuroleptic malignant syndrome. In addition, most of the side effects of the medication tend to be permanent and without treatment. This means that drugmakers will be responsible for significant settlements for a number of plaintiffs.

Because of this, defendants will likely do as much as possible to keep the number of payouts they have to provide to a minimum. The makers of Reglan will do anything possible to disprove the connection between a patient’s tardive dyskinesia and their product. Patients who have a history of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder and have taken anti-psychotics like Zoloft, Prozac, Thorazine, and Lithium are less likely to receive a settlement because these drugs have also been associated with tardive dyskinesia and it cannot be proven that Reglan was the cause of a patient’s disorder as opposed to one of these other medications.

In addition, plaintiffs with fetal alcohol syndrome and some other developmental disabilities or brain disorders may have a lessened chance of winning damages because these people are more susceptible to tardive dyskinesia and other neurological movement disorders. Tardive dyskinesia is also similar to Tourette’s syndrome, and is often misdiagnosed as such. Therefore, plaintiffs will need to prove that their symptoms are, in fact, indicative not of Tourette’s but of tardive dyskinesia. Tourette’s syndrome has not been linked to Reglan use.

In many cases there is little hope that relief from tardive dyskinesia and other neurological movement disorders associated with Reglan will ever be relieved. Because of this, settlements will likely be significant for plaintiffs who are eligible to receive them. Potential plaintiffs who have any questions in regards to Reglan litigation and filing a lawsuit of their own should first speak to an experienced Reglan lawyer.