A high-profile lawsuit for the recalled painkiller Darvocet has the potential to be one of the leading legal issues of 2011, this according to the news site newsinferno.com. According to its report, thousands of potential plaintiffs have stepped forward setting the stage for significant class action lawsuits.

After decades of controversy, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) finally banned the drug in November of 2010. The decision followed new evidence of Darvocet side effects.

A new study conducted by the drug’s maker, Xanodyne Pharmaceuticals, discovered that Darvocet could cause irregular heartbeat which could lead to potentially fatal rapid heartbeat called ventricular tachycardia.

First introduced in 1957, Darvon (later known as Darvocet) has garnered notoriety over the years due to its toxicity at doses not much higher than recommended dosages due to its heart-toxic metabolite accumulation in the body as well as for being addictive. The opioid painkiller was linked to thousands of deaths since 1981, a majority of which were supposedly due to cardiac toxicity including the interruption of electrical conduction in the heart.

Public Citizen, a non-profit consumer interest advocacy group, has also petitioned the FDA for a Darvocet recall as well as the removal of other propoxyphene products from the market. The group claims at least 1,000 to more than 2,000 Americans have already died from ingesting propoxyphene since 2004.

Have you or a loved one suffered serious Darvocet side effects? If so, do not hesitate to apply for compensation in the form of a Darvocet lawsuit; contact the drug recall attorneys at RxRecall.com today to schedule a free consultation.