Many individuals who use the dissolvable film version of suboxone have been affected by dental issues. Some of these issues include gum damage, tongue injuries, cavities, decay, fractures, and tooth loss. Thankfully, as a victim of suboxone tooth decay or any of these other dental issues, you can now take legal action against the producers of this drug. A personal injury lawyer can help you file a lawsuit to get compensation for the injuries you suffered.
If you’re willing to take this course of action, you’re not alone. As of November 2023, over 100 lawsuits have been filed against Indivior, the producer of suboxone dissolvable films. A major ground upon which many of these lawsuits are based is that the manufacturer failed to provide proper warnings regarding the potential risks of using this drug. The claimants accuse the defendants (Indivior) of choosing profits over the well-being of their customers.
You can’t file a suboxone lawsuit yourself. You’ll need to hire a personal injury lawyer. They’ll advise you on the possible legal actions you can take. Once it is agreed that filing a lawsuit is the best approach, the lawyer will then draft and submit the lawsuit.
Working with an experienced lawyer will ensure that you don’t confuse the suboxone Tooth Decay Lawsuit with the suboxone Class Action Lawsuit. The latter deals with allegations that the manufacturers displayed anticompetitive behavior and overpriced their drugs. The individual lawsuits, on the other hand, deal with the recovery of compensation after suffering dental injuries due to suboxone use.
If you are concerned about the fees to hire a legal attorney, you don’t have to worry. The management of these suboxone tooth decay lawsuits is contingency-based. You can read this post to find out what a contingent fee is all about. As such, the lawyer will get his fees only if they win the case. The fee will come out of the compensation awarded to the victim.
Eligibility to File This Lawsuit
Your eligibility to file this lawsuit depends on whether you meet the criteria below:
- You were prescribed suboxone to manage pain or battle opioid addiction. That means if you took suboxone without a prescription, you don’t qualify to file this lawsuit.
- You used suboxone for at least six months before the discovery of the dental injuries.
- You had any of the defined injuries caused by the use of suboxone. So, if the injury isn’t tooth loss, gum injury, tongue injury, tooth decay, tooth fracture, tooth loss, cavity, cracked teeth, crown replacement or damage, infections, or tooth enamel loss, you can’t file a lawsuit.
- Your dental care routine was regular before you started using suboxone.
Bear in mind that there is a deadline for filing such a claim. This period is known as the statute of limitations. If you miss that period, you cannot file this lawsuit.
Therefore, you need to contact a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. If your diagnosis is older than 10 years, you need to get the dental records first. This will serve as evidence for the court.
Dentists used (some still do) suboxone in their practice. When this dissolvable film is placed beneath a patient’s tongue, the victim must patiently wait for about ten minutes to allow it to dissolve. The problem with this procedure is that the naloxone and buprenorphine found in suboxone are very acidic.
As a result, these ingredients reduce the mouth’s pH. Furthermore, it can increase Streptococcus mutans virulence and reduce salivary flow. Repeated use of this drug is what leads to the numerous injuries that users have reported over the years.