Hit and Run Op-Ed Published in Detroit Free Press

Today, the Detroit Free Press published an op-ed written by AFJ President Nan Aron and Michigan’s Sugar Law Center Legal Director John Philo. The op-ed, “Drugmakers Seek Lawsuit Immunity,” discusses the principle of preemption, which would limit the ability of consumers to hold corporations accountable for injuries caused by their products. It was also a response to an earlier Free Press op-ed by Pacific Research Institute CEO Sally Pipes titled “Don’t Let Trial Lawyers Overdose on Drug Suits.”

“[D]rug giant[s] argue that once a company has permission from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to market a medication or a device such as a defibrillator, heart pump or artificial heart valve…it can no longer be held accountable in state court for any harm that product causes. This ‘hit and run’ legal theory is like saying that once someone gets a driver's license, that person can't be held legally responsible for ramming your car on the freeway and sending you to the hospital.”

To read Nan and John’s entire op-ed in the Detroit Free Press click here.