Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS) might be a rare skin disease, but it can also be incredibly devastating, affecting around 10% of the skin on your body. Unfortunately, because it is so rare, many doctors often misdiagnose the disease or miss it entirely, leading to symptoms worsening. SJS can develop into a more dangerous and even rarer condition known as Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN).

Often, when a doctor misdiagnoses or misses SJS, the patient’s condition worsens. If the doctor had accurately diagnosed this disease, the patient would have been able to recover much faster. Sadly, misdiagnosis is a common occurrence, leaving people with devastating, often life-threatening, results. Additionally, certain medications cause allergic reactions that develop into SJS.

Whether you developed Stevens-Johnson Syndrome after an allergic reaction to a medication, or a healthcare professional failed to diagnose or treat this disease, you might be within your right to file a medical malpractice lawsuit. An SJS lawsuit will help you recover the damages you deserve. But what damages can you recover in an SJS lawsuit?

The team at Wormington & Bollinger understands how difficult these kinds of cases can be, especially if you are still recovering from your injuries. That is why we are here to help you with your SJS lawsuit to ensure you recover the damages you deserve.

Filing an SJS Lawsuit

Filing a medical malpractice lawsuit can be complicated and confusing, especially if you have no experience with this process. When you take a medication or seek medical treatment, you expect to receive the care that will help you heal and recover. Unfortunately, for some, that is not the case. This experience leads to further injury and damage. That is almost always the case with Stevens-Johnson Syndrome.

When a patient does develop SJS because of an allergic reaction to a medication or a misdiagnosis, they are often within their rights to file an SJS lawsuit. However, before you file a lawsuit, there are some things you must do beforehand.

First, you need to get a proper SJS diagnosis. Once you’ve confirmed this condition, you need to find out what caused it. Often, your medical records and medication records will be able to tell if you had an allergic reaction or a doctor did not diagnose you correctly.

To move forward with your medical malpractice claim, you must prove:

• You have or had SJS
• You took a prescription drug that caused an allergic reaction that developed into SJS
• A doctor diagnosed you with another condition or missed the disease entirely
• A doctor knew you had a known allergy yet prescribed you a drug anyway

Once you can prove these things, it is time to move forward with your SJS lawsuit.

Receiving Compensation in an SJS Lawsuit 

Stevens-Johnson Syndrome is a dangerous rare skin disease. It attacks a person’s skin and the mucous membranes of the eyes, mouth, and genitals, impacting nearly 10% of the skin. If the condition progresses and develops into Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN), then almost 30% of the skin will be affected.

It can be life-threatening, as well. While only 10% of SJS patients lose their life to the disease, TEN kills nearly 50% of patients that have it. Often, it can leave long-term effects, as is the case with a New York woman who won $120 million in a medical malpractice case after she was left brain-damaged and permanently disabled.

As you can see, the repercussions of not receiving an accurate diagnosis can be devastating. That is why so many people file medical malpractice lawsuits after they develop and suffer from Stevens-Johnson Syndrome.

What Damages Can You Recover?

In virtually all cases of SJS, patients must be admitted to the hospital. They frequently receive treatment in either the ICU or burn units because the injuries are similar to those of burn victims. Unfortunately, recovery can take weeks or months, depending on the severity of the condition. That leads to mounting medical bills that put a financial burden on an already stressful period.

Fortunately, with an SJS lawsuit, you can recover damages that can help ease the burden caused by SJS. Some of the damages you can recover include:

• Medical bills (both current and future)
• Loss of income
• Loss of consortium (such as the loss of love, affection, care, or companionship for a spouse, child, or family member)
• Pain and suffering
• Loss of the ability to work in the future
• Mental anguish
• Disability
• In the case of wrongful death:
  • Funeral costs
  • Loss of future earnings and benefits (healthcare, pension, etc.)
  • Loss of inheritance
  • Pain and suffering of the loss of a loved one

Who Can Be Held Liable? 

Many parties can be liable in an SJS lawsuit. Even though it might be daunting filing against these parties, especially pharmaceutical companies, you must do it to ensure you receive the compensation you deserve.

Some drug manufacturers fail to include a warning for Stevens-Johnson Syndrome on their drug labels, so when a patient develops the condition, they may not know to look for SJS, nor will they be able to link the skin disease with a prescription. If the manufacturer was aware of the risks, they should have included them on the label. By failing to do so, they can be held liable.

Furthermore, when a doctor inaccurately diagnoses your condition or misses it entirely, they too can be held liable for the injuries you suffered. They should know a patient’s allergies and should be aware of the dangers of certain medications. Their misjudgment or negligence could be life-threatening.

Stevens-Johnson Syndrome can be devastating. In extreme cases, it can develop into Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis, threatening the life of a patient even further. If you or someone you know developed SJS due to an allergic reaction to a drug or a doctor failed to diagnose your condition accurately, you might have a viable medical malpractice claim. Contact Wormington & Bollinger to learn how we can help with your SJS lawsuit.