Cook County jury awards $16.5 million in drug death case
The estate of Janice DiCosolo, 38, was awarded more than $16.5 million Monday by a Cook County jury. DiCosolo was using a prescribed pain patch which lead to her death on Feb. 15, 2004.
Alza Corp. and Janssen Pharmaceuticals, manufactured and distributed the patch.
According to her attorney, F. John Cushing, DiCosolo's physician prescribed the patch. DiCosolo was suffering from regional pain syndrome. The patch was supposed to release the medication gradually over a period of three days. Instead, the patch delivered a lethal dose of fentanyl into DiCosolo's system at a rate of 16 times higher than it should have.
Fentanyl is a powerful opiate which is often used in prescribed pain medications.
According to a news realease, Alza Corp and Janssen recalled the patch a day after DiCosolo's death.
