Diabetes

Diabetes is a disease in which your blood glucose, or blood sugar, stays too high. Insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas, helps glucose get into cells for energy. In type 1 diabetes, the body makes little or no insulin. In type 2 diabetes, the most common form, the body does not make or use insulin well. Gestational diabetes develops during pregnancy. Over time, high blood sugar can damage the eyes, kidneys, nerves, heart, and blood vessels, which is why diabetes is linked to vision loss, kidney disease, nerve damage, and amputations.

Diabetes touches a large share of drug and device litigation because so many people take medications and use devices to manage it. Lawsuits over diabetes treatment usually fall into three groups: side effects of glucose-lowering drugs, contamination of those drugs, and malfunctions of insulin delivery devices. Examples include claims that GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic caused severe stomach problems, cases over metformin contaminated with a cancer-causing impurity, and complaints about insulin pumps such as the Omnipod. Earlier waves involved SGLT2 inhibitors and Actos.

Diabetes can also be a disability under federal law, which matters for workplace accommodation and benefits disputes.

If you believe a diabetes drug or device harmed you, do not stop a medication without talking to your doctor. Keep pharmacy records, device serial or lot numbers, and records of the injury and when it started. Many of these cases are individual claims coordinated in federal courts; see our guide on multidistrict litigation.