Reglan Patients Should Keep Eye on Statute of Limitations

San Diego, CAPeople who have experienced Reglan side effects and are considering legal action should be aware of the statute of limitations. Although the time to file a Reglan lawsuit has not run out, time is ticking for attorneys to gather evidence and put together a case. Patients who believe they or someone they know have suffered from tardive dyskinesia or other Reglan drug side effects should take action sooner rather than later.


Although the statute of limitations varies from state to state, many lawyers say they count the statute as running from the day the US Food and Drug Administration's black box warning was announced for Reglan. To be safe, most patients should expect a two-year statute of limitations in cases where a drug is alleged to have caused harm to a patient.

This means that patients have approximately six months to file a lawsuit. After that, an attorney has to set up a case and ensure he or she has all the necessary facts and documents. That can be a time-consuming process which requires that patients come forward months before the statute of limitations runs out.

Reglan patients may also have a complicated situation because they may have been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease or Parkinson-like symptoms rather than tardive dyskinesia. Patients who took Reglan and have developed symptoms of tardive dyskinesia, or who have been diagnosed with Parkinson's or Parkinson-like symptoms, should contact a doctor to discuss the possibility of tardive dyskinesia.

Some Reglan lawsuits are moving forward. The New Jersey Supreme Court has ruled that all lawsuits concerning Reglan in New Jersey will be consolidated. Meanwhile, new lawsuits are being filed against both name brand and generic makers of Reglan (called metoclopramide).

Reglan was approved as a short-term treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Some patients, however, were put on the medication for much longer than the recommended 12 weeks. Those at the highest risk of developing tardive dyskinesia and other side effects are patients who took Reglan for longer than the recommended time.