Since 1995, Michigan law has shielded drug manufacturers from legal action stemming from FDA-approved products. In other words, Michigan residents cannot hold drug companies accountable for defective products in the state of Michigan. This remarkably anti-consumer law – the only one of its kind in the country – has come under fire recently and may be on the way out.
The Michigan House of Representatives passed a bill ten months ago that would level the playing field and bring Michigan law back in line with the rest of the nation. Unfortunately, Republicans in the Michigan Senate have stubbornly chosen to block the bill in order to protect pharmaceutical corporations.
Democrats are now taking up the battle for victims’ rights. Senators Gretchen Whitmer and Representative Mark Meadows have chastised the Republican leadership for delaying a vote on the bill. Rather than keep jobs in Michigan, Whitmer and Meadows point out that the state has lost jobs in the pharmaceutical industry since drug manufacturer immunity was adopted in 1995.
Under the current law, Michigan residents who are injured or killed by defective drugs cannot sue drug makers in the State of Michigan. As a result, countless victims of dangerous products have been denied legal recourse in this state. If you feel that it is time for individuals to get a fair shake against massive corporations, please contact your state Senator and let them know that drug industry immunity in Michigan must end.
