Antibiotic Injuries

Antibiotics are terrific drugs that can be quite effective in fighting infection. Unfortunately, there are serious side effects to the use of antibiotics and, therefore, doctors have to be careful in prescribing them. For example, certain antibiotics can cause something called Clostridium difficile colitis, a condition that can cause serious damage to the intestines and colon and lead to the need for a colostomy or, in some cases, even death.

Another common injury that comes from antibiotics is Gentamicin toxicity. This is an injury to the mechanism in our inner ear that controls balance and orientation. It is caused by too much of the drug Gentamicin.

There are other injuries that can be caused by antibiotics as well. The lesson to be learned with all antibiotics is simple. They can be very effective in clearing up infection, but they can also cause serious injuries and, therefore, doctors must be careful how much of the drug they prescribe, and they also have to monitor the levels of the drug by doing regular blood work.

Over the past 30 years, the attorneys at Gismondi & Associates have successfully handled a variety of cases involving side effects from antibiotics, including:

• A high six-figure recovery on behalf of a woman who died as a result of C. difficile colitis as a side effect from antibiotics.
• A significant six-figure award on behalf of a woman from Uniontown who developed Gentamicin toxicity from antibiotics used to treat a lower leg infection.