Stevens-Johnson Syndrome Lawsuits

Stevens-Johnson syndrome is a rare skin disorder and can be a serious medical condition that may require hospitalization.  Medical staff must diagnose the underlying cause as to whether it started from a reaction to medication or from an infection. If the cause is a reaction to medication, the medication must be substituted with something else and if the cause is an infection, treatment must begin immediately to cure the infection.  Symptoms of Stevens-Johnson syndrome must also be treated and it can weeks to months for a person to recover.

Bringing a Claim for Negligence

In order to bring a successful lawsuit for a case of Stevens-Johnson syndrome, a patient must show that medical staff either failed to recognize the symptoms of the disease early enough to limit the resulting symptoms, or that a doctor negligently prescribed a medication to which a  patient has a known allergy.

An allergic reaction to medications is most often the cause of Stevens-Johnson syndrome. Drugs commonly associated with Stevens-Johnson syndrome include:

• Anti-gout medications
• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
• Sulfonamide and penicillin
• Anticonvulsants (used to treat seizures)

Doctors may be held legally responsible for failing to ask a patient about allergies to medications, or for failing to know a patient’s medical history which results in a case of Stevens-Johnson Syndrome. 

Infections may also be a cause of Stevens-Johnson syndrome such as herpes, HIV, typhoid or hepatitis.  If a patient has one of these serious infections, medical staff must be alert to the possibility of the worsening condition to Stevens-Johnson syndrome.  There is no test for Stevens-Johnson syndrome and it is generally an unpredictable reaction to medication or an infection.

Costs and Awards

A person suffering from Stevens-Johnson Syndrome may have significant medical costs for hospitalization, testing, and treatment of the underlying cause as well as of the symptoms of the syndrome. A person may also be awarded costs for lost wages (present and future), permanent disfigurement, pain and suffering and loss of the opportunity to live life as a person without a serious skin disorder might live.  Experts will be needed to testify in a lawsuit as to the impact of the Stevens-Johnson Syndrome on the patient’s life as well as to testify as to the cause of the skin disorder.  A person must be able to prove that the disorder could have been avoided if he had received proper medical attention. The patient must prove the medical provider was negligent in some way that resulted in harm to the patient.

Get Legal Help!

Anyone with a serious case of Stevens-Johnson Syndrome should consult a personal injury attorney to help determine whether he might be entitled to compensation for his injuries.  A personal injury attorney can help find the medical experts who will investigate medical history and treatment to determine the chances of bringing a successful lawsuit for negligent medical care.