LANSING – Rep. Mike Lahti (D-Hancock) and House Democrats today announced a package of bills that would end the absolute legal immunity of drug companies in Michigan. The bills are slated for a hearing in the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.
"Michigan is the only state in the nation that does not allow its citizens the power to hold a drug company accountable when its products harm or kill," said Lahti, who is a co-sponsor of the bills. "The citizens of Michigan shouldn't be treated any differently than anyone else. Consumers deserve to be protected when a dangerous drug makes it through the FDA's screening process and is later proven to be unsafe."
The package of bills to be discussed in the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday will:
- Repeal a 1996 law granting legal immunity to drug companies. Signed by then-Governor John Engler, the law gives companies complete immunity from legal action so long as the drug in question has been approved for safety and efficacy by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
- Make the repeal retroactive so that Michigan residents harmed by dangerous drugs since 1996 can seek legal recourse.
- Include drug companies in the Consumer Protection Act, from which they are currently exempted.
"Michigan is the only state where drug companies are not held to the same consumer-protection standards that other businesses are," commented Lahti. "Drug companies provide a vital service to our state. These bills will help to insure that this service is delivered responsibly."