Risperdal Settlement Reached in Pennsylvania Gynecomastia Lawsuit Scheduled for Trial, Bernstein Liebhard LLP Reports

NEW YORK, Nov. 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- A Risperdal settlement has been reached in a gynecomastia lawsuit that was scheduled to go to trial on Monday in Pennsylvania's Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas. According to court documents, the lawsuit had been filed on behalf of a plaintiff who was prescribed Risperdal at the age of 7, after being diagnosed Asperger's syndrome and behavioral disorders. The complaint alleged that Risperdal caused the plaintiff to develop excessive and permanent breast tissue, and accused the drug's manufacturers of failing to adequately warn of its risks. The terms of the settlement remain confidential, and neither Johnson & Johnson nor its Janssen Pharmaceuticals unit have admitted any liability in agreeing to resolve the case. (Case No. 1305-00998)

"We are representing a number of Risperdal gynecomastia plaintiffs, and have been monitoring the Pennsylvania proceedings closely. While the settlement is good news for this individual plaintiff, thousands of additional cases remain pending in U.S. courts and the litigation is far from over," said Sandy A. Liebhard, a partner at Bernstein Liebhard LLP, a nationwide law firm representing the victims of defective drugs and medical devices. The Firm continues to provide free legal reviews to individuals who allegedly developed gynecomastia due to their use of the antipsychotic medication.

Risperdal Litigation

The newly-settled Risperdal lawsuit was part of a mass tort litigation that includes more than 2,000 product liability claims involving the drug. In an August filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Johnson & Johnson reported that there were at least 13,000 such cases pending in courts throughout the U.S. The Pennsylvania litigation has already convened five trials involving Risperdal and gynecomastia. In July, $70 million – the litigation's largest verdict thus far-- was awarded to a teenager who experienced the growth of female-like breasts shortly after he began taking Risperdal as a five-year-old. When he was prescribed the drug in 2003, it had not yet been approved for any pediatric indications. (Case No. No. 130402094)

The litigation's second-largest verdict – $2.5 million – was awarded in February 2015, at the conclusion of Pennsylvania's first gynecomastia trial. (Case No. A-196444)  A month later, another jury declined to award a second plaintiff any damages, after determining that there was not enough evidence to conclude that Risperdal had caused his breast growth. However, they did find that the safety warnings provided to patients and doctors were inadequate. (Case No. 130301803)

A third Pennsylvania Risperdal plaintiff prevailed in November 2015, when he was awarded $1.75 million (later reduced the verdict to $680,000). (Case No. 130401990) A month later, a fourth gynecomastia trial ended with a verdict for the plaintiff in the amount of $500,000. (Case No. 130401984)

Risperdal patients who allegedly developed gynecomastia connected with its use may be eligible to file their own lawsuit. To learn more about the ongoing Risperdal litigation, please contact Bernstein Liebhard LLP for a free case review by visiting the Firm's website, or by calling 800-511-5092.

About Bernstein Liebhard LLP
Bernstein Liebhard LLP is a New York-based law firm exclusively representing injured persons in complex individual and class action lawsuits nationwide since 1993. As a national law firm, Bernstein Liebhard LLP possesses all of the legal and financial resources required to successfully challenge billion dollar pharmaceutical and medical device companies. As a result, our attorneys and legal staff have been able to recover more than $3.5 billion on behalf of our clients. Bernstein Liebhard LLP is honored to once again be named to The National Law Journal's "Plaintiffs' Hot List," recognizing the top plaintiffs firms in the country. This year's nomination marks the thirteenth year the firm has been named to this prestigious annual list.

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Sandy A. Liebhard, Esq.
Bernstein Liebhard LLP
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