Value of Attorney Advertising On Display at Risperdal Trial

The pharmaceutical drug Risperdal, prescribed by physicians as an antipsychotic, has caused a particularly embarrassing and emotionally scarring side effect in thousands of its male users. The drug is alleged to have caused thousands of boys and grown men alike to develop breasts, a medical condition known as gynecomastia.   

Despite widespread claims of this side effect by Risperdal users, many injured parties may not know the causal relationship between use of the defective product and an injury. Such was the case with at least one plaintiff in a recent Risperdal trial, as reported by Law360, where the connection was discovered after watching an attorney advertisement:

“The mother of an autistic boy who grew breasts after taking the Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc. drug Risperdal choked back tears as she told a Philadelphia jury on Friday that she first learned about a possible link between the medication and her son’s condition after seeing an attorney advertisement on TV.”

Risperidone, the generic name of the drug, was the first approved, and most widely used, pharmaceutical for treatment of autism. As a result, many individuals suffering from injuries due to use of Risperdal may have impaired social interaction and communication faculties that make identifying the cause of their gynecomastia, or articulation of the onset or source of the ailment to others, difficult or impossible. The case above is anecdotal proof that attorney advertising can play not just an effective, but a critical role, in helping plaintiffs timely seek redress for injuries, particularly those who may not be able to function independently.

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