Find a dangerous drug or medical device lawyer in El Paso
If you think a drug is harming you, call the West Texas Regional Poison Center at UMC, 1-800-222-1222, day or night, in English or Spanish. Do not stop a medicine on your own. Texas generally gives you 2 years to sue, and no longer than 15 years after the sale.
Last checked November 9, 2026 · Official sources (35)
What should you do first if a medicine hurt you in El Paso?
- If someone is very sick, call 911. UMC is the region's Level 1 trauma center, at (915) 544-1200.
- For questions about a drug, call the poison center at UMC: 1-800-222-1222.
- Do not quit a prescription suddenly. Stopping can be worse than the drug, so ask your doctor or pharmacist first.
- Keep the bottle, the box, the label and the pills. Do not throw them away, even if you stop taking them.
- Write down the lot number. Not every recall makes the news or FDA's website.
- Report it to FDA's MedWatch program. You can do this yourself online, and your doctor does not have to.
What if you bought the medicine in Juarez?
This is a real question on the border, and the Bridge of the Americas carries people on foot as well as cars. The U.S. Mission to Mexico has warned about counterfeit medicine at pharmacies in Mexico, including pills tainted with fentanyl and methamphetamine. It says counterfeit drugs may be ineffective, the wrong strength or contain dangerous ingredients. FDA recommends only getting medicine from legal sources in the U.S.
A case against a small pharmacy in Mexico can be very hard, because the seller and the court may both be across the border. A claim may still exist if a U.S. company made the drug, if it came through a U.S. seller or if a U.S. doctor told you to get it.
Tell a doctor exactly where you bought it. Take the bottle to your appointment. If someone died after taking pills from across the border, please talk to police as well as a lawyer.
Who can be responsible for a dangerous drug or device in El Paso?
| Product | The rule | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Brand-name drug | The maker is responsible for its label at all times | A failure to warn claim is possible |
| Generic drug | Federal law makes its label match the brand | Many claims are blocked, so check which pill you took |
| FDA-approved label in Texas | Presumption of no liability on warnings | Can be rebutted if a company withheld information from FDA or promoted an unapproved use |
| High-risk device with premarket approval | Common-law safety claims are barred | Hard, but ask what kind of approval it had |
| 510(k) device | The process looks at equivalence, not safety | More room for a claim |
| Vaccine | A no-fault federal program | Often a separate path |
A pharmacy can also make a mistake, such as giving the wrong drug or dose. You can file a written complaint with the Texas State Board of Pharmacy. The board only covers pharmacies and staff licensed in Texas, so it will not help with a store in Juarez. A complaint does not pay your bills, but it creates a record.
Does a recall mean you have a case in El Paso?
Not by itself. FDA's most serious category, Class I, means a reasonable chance of serious harm or death. Class II means temporary or reversible harm, or a remote chance of serious harm.
Your claim still needs proof that this product caused your injury. A device maker, or a hospital that uses devices, may have to report problems to FDA, which can help a lawyer learn what the company knew.
How long do you have to file a dangerous drug claim in El Paso?
Generally 2 years after the claim accrues, and 15 years after the sale is the outer limit, with an exception for certain slow-developing diseases. If you got the drug from a public hospital such as UMC, and your claim is about its care, a six-month notice may apply.
Large drug cases are often filed in federal court. The clerk for El Paso and Hudspeth counties is at 525 Magoffin Avenue, Suite 105. State cases go through the District Clerk at 500 E San Antonio. If Medicare paid for your care, it must be paid back from a settlement. Ask early how much that will be.
Questions
Who do I call in El Paso if a medicine made me sick?
The West Texas Regional Poison Center at UMC, 1-800-222-1222. For an emergency, call 911.
Can I sue over pills bought in a Juarez pharmacy?
It is hard. Ask whether a U.S. company made or sold the drug. U.S. officials warn counterfeit medicine is common there.
How long do I have to sue a drug company in Texas?
Generally 2 years, with a 15-year limit after the sale.
Where do I complain about a pharmacy in El Paso?
In writing to the Texas State Board of Pharmacy.
Dangerous drug or medical device in El Paso? See if you are owed money.
A free case review. $0 upfront. No fee unless you win.
See if I’m owed moneySources (35)
- Texas Poison Center Network, checked 2026-11-09. “at University Medical Center of El Paso is America’s first 24-hour bilingual regional poison control center”
- FDA, checked 2026-11-09. “stopping your medicine may be more harmful to your health than continuing to take the recalled medicine”
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003, checked 2026-11-08. “not later than two years after the day the cause of action accrues”
- Texas Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 16.012, checked 2026-11-09. “before the end of 15 years after the date of the sale of the product by the defendant”
- U.S. Mission to Mexico, checked 2026-11-09. “counterfeit pharmaceuticals available at pharmacies in Mexico, including those tainted with fentanyl and methamphetamine”
- U.S. Mission to Mexico, checked 2026-11-09. “Counterfeit medication is common and may prove to be ineffective, the wrong strength, or contain dangerous ingredients.”
- FDA MedWatch, checked 2026-11-09. “you may complete the Online Reporting Form yourself”
- FDA MedWatch, checked 2026-11-09. “Your health care provider is NOT required to report to the FDA.”
- Texas State Board of Pharmacy, checked 2026-11-09. “Anyone may file a complaint against a TSBP licensee; however, complaints must be received in writing.”
- UMC El Paso, 2024 Annual Report, checked 2026-11-08. “UMC Receives Reverification as Level 1 Trauma Center”
- University Medical Center of El Paso, checked 2026-11-08. “Main Number: (915) 544-1200”
- FDA, checked 2026-11-09. “not all recalls are announced on FDA.gov or in the news media”
- FDA MedWatch, checked 2026-11-09. “program for reporting serious reactions, product quality problems”
- TxDOT, El Paso Region Texas Border Facts, March 2025, checked 2026-11-08. “which handles commercial vehicles, buses, pedestrians, and passenger vehicles”
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration, checked 2026-11-09. “the FDA recommends only obtaining medicines from legal sources in the U.S.”
- Supreme Court, Wyeth v. Levine (2009), checked 2026-11-09. “the manufacturer bears responsibility for the content of its label at all times”
- Supreme Court, PLIVA v. Mensing (2011), checked 2026-11-09. “violated the federal requirement that generic drug labels be the same as the corresponding brand-name drug labels”
- Texas Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 82.007, checked 2026-11-09. “there is a rebuttable presumption that the defendant or defendants, including a health care provider, manufacturer, distributor, and prescriber, are not liable”
- Texas Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 82.007, checked 2026-11-09. “withheld from or misrepresented to the United States Food and Drug Administration required information”
- Texas Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 82.007, checked 2026-11-09. “the defendant recommended, promoted, or advertised the pharmaceutical product for an indication not approved”
- Supreme Court, Riegel v. Medtronic (2008), checked 2026-11-09. “bars common-law claims challenging the safety or effectiveness of a medical device marketed in a form that received premarket approval from the FDA”
- Supreme Court, Medtronic v. Lohr (1996), checked 2026-11-09. “process is focused on equivalence, not safety”
- HRSA, checked 2026-11-09. “is a no-fault alternative to the traditional legal system for resolving vaccine injury petitions”
- Texas State Board of Pharmacy, checked 2026-11-09. “has regulatory authority solely over pharmacies, pharmacists, pharmacist interns and pharmacy technicians licensed in Texas.”
- FDA, checked 2026-11-09. “Class I recall: a situation in which there is a reasonable probability that the use of or exposure to a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death.”
- FDA, checked 2026-11-09. “Class II recall: a situation in which use of or exposure to a violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences”
- FDA, checked 2026-11-09. “manufacturers, device user facilities, and importers) are required to submit to the FDA”
- Texas Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 16.003, checked 2026-11-09. “not later than two years after the day the cause of action accrues”
- Texas Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 16.012, checked 2026-11-09. “the symptoms of the claimant's disease did not, before the end of 15 years”
- El Paso County Hospital District Strategic Plan, checked 2026-11-09. “a public, nonprofit healthcare system dedicated to serving the residents of El Paso County”
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 101.101, checked 2026-11-08. “not later than six months after the day that the incident giving rise to the claim occurred”
- U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas, checked 2026-11-09. “Counties Served: El Paso, Hudspeth”
- El Paso County District Clerk, Civil Cases, checked 2026-11-08. “Foreclosure, Garnishment, Injury or Damage, Malpractice”
- El Paso County, Staff Directory: District Clerk, checked 2026-11-08. “500 E San Antonio Suite 103 El Paso, TX 79901”
- CMS, checked 2026-11-09. “it must be repaid to Medicare when a settlement, judgment, award, or other payment is made”