By Eric Shore, Personal Injury and Disability Attorney | Practicing since 1994 | Serving Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Florida
Yes. If you took Ozempic, Wegovy, or Mounjaro and developed serious stomach problems, you may have a legal claim against the drug manufacturer. As of April 2026, more than 3,500 lawsuits are pending against Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly in federal court in Philadelphia. Gastroparesis, which is when your stomach stops pushing food through your body, is listed as the primary injury in roughly 75% of cases filed. And if those side effects are keeping you from working, you have a second problem on top of the legal one: lost income that is not coming back on its own.
Does This Apply to You?
This may apply to you if all of the following are true:
- You took Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, Rybelsus, Trulicity, or Zepbound
- A doctor diagnosed you with one of these conditions after you started the drug: gastroparesis (stomach paralysis), ileus (intestinal blockage), NAION (a type of sudden vision loss sometimes called an eye stroke), pulmonary embolism (blood clot in the lungs), or gallbladder disease
- You were hospitalized, needed emergency care, or required ongoing treatment because of that diagnosis
If you check all three boxes, you might have grounds for a lawsuit.
This Is Not Just a Lawsuit. It Is an Income Problem.
A lawsuit against a drug company could take years. Bellwether trials in this litigation are not expected until late 2026 or early 2027. That is a long time to wait for a check.
But your bills showed up this month.
If gastroparesis or another side effect from a weight loss drug is keeping you from doing your job, you have what we call a DisInjury™ case. DisInjury™ is when a physical condition causes lasting inability to work and earn income. You may have a legal claim against the manufacturer. But you also have a gap in your paycheck that the lawsuit will not fill anytime soon.
There are ways to fill that gap. You may qualify for short-term disability through your employer, long-term disability through an insurance policy, or Social Security disability benefits if the condition is expected to last 12 months or more.
At the Law Offices of Eric A. Shore, we handle both the legal claim and the income side. Most firms only do one. We look at both because that is how the problem actually works for the person living it.
What Symptoms Should You Watch For?
Gastroparesis is the most common injury in these lawsuits. It means your stomach muscles have slowed down or stopped working, so food sits there instead of moving through. You might know it as stomach paralysis. In a January 2026 court hearing, Novo Nordisk’s own attorney confirmed that stomach paralysis is the leading complaint across the litigation.
Common signs:
- Nausea that does not go away after you stop taking the drug
- Vomiting for weeks after your last dose
- Feeling full after eating only a few bites
- Severe bloating and stomach pain
- Losing weight you did not intend to lose because you cannot keep food down
Other conditions showing up in these cases include ileus, which is when your intestines stop contracting and waste cannot move through. Doctors may also call this a bowel obstruction. Some people have developed NAION, a sudden loss of vision in one eye caused by reduced blood flow to the optic nerve. Others have experienced blood clots or gallbladder problems.
The FDA updated the Ozempic label in January 2025 to say the drug is “not recommended” for patients with severe gastroparesis. But as of 2026, that label still does not warn that the drug can cause gastroparesis in the first place. In early 2026, the FDA also sent a warning letter to Novo Nordisk over potential failures in reporting side effects. That gap between what the label says and what the drug actually does is a big part of why these lawsuits exist.
“A lot of people come in and say they thought the nausea and vomiting were just normal side effects. They had no idea their stomach had actually stopped working.” – Eric A. Shore
What Drugs Are Involved?
These lawsuits cover a class of drugs called GLP-1 receptor agonists. The name does not matter. What matters is whether you took one of these:
- Ozempic (semaglutide injection, made by Novo Nordisk)
- Wegovy (semaglutide injection, higher dose, same maker)
- Rybelsus (semaglutide pill, same maker)
- Mounjaro (tirzepatide injection, made by Eli Lilly)
- Zepbound (tirzepatide injection, same maker)
- Trulicity (dulaglutide injection, made by Eli Lilly)
All of these drugs work by slowing down how fast your stomach empties. That is how they reduce appetite and control blood sugar. For some people, the slowing goes too far and the stomach stops working. Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly are both defendants. The cases are in federal court in Philadelphia.
What Do You Do Right Now?
Two things, and they are separate from each other.
- Find out if you have a legal claim. Call 1-800-CANT-WORK. Tell us which drug you took, what diagnosis you received, and when the symptoms started. We will review your medical situation and let you know if you qualify. If you do, we work with experienced mass tort litigation teams to make sure your case is filed correctly and on time.
- Deal with the income problem now. If you cannot work because of your condition, do not wait for the lawsuit. File for whatever benefits you are eligible for today. That might be short-term disability, long-term disability, or SSDI. We can help you figure out which one applies and file for it. Learn more about Social Security disability benefits and how to apply.
Different timelines. Different deadlines. The lawsuit does not replace your lost paycheck. Disability benefits do not depend on the lawsuit. Handle both.
How Does This Lawsuit Work?
All of the federal cases have been grouped together under something called a multidistrict litigation, or MDL. The official name is MDL No. 3094, and it is being handled in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania by Judge Karen Marston.
An MDL is not a class action. In a class action, one lawsuit represents everyone. In an MDL, every person keeps their own individual case. The court groups them together for the early stages, like gathering evidence and hearing motions, because the cases share common facts. If your case does not settle during the MDL process, it goes back to your local court for trial.
There is also a separate MDL for vision loss cases (MDL No. 3163), created in December 2025. That one handles NAION claims specifically. In March 2026, the court appointed a leadership team of attorneys to manage the vision loss cases.
As of April 2026, there are more than 3,500 cases pending. Bellwether trials, which are test cases the court uses to see how juries react, are expected in late 2026 or early 2027. No global settlements have been announced yet.
We have represented more than 40,000 clients and recovered over $250 million in personal injury and disability cases across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Florida. If you are not sure whether your situation fits this litigation or whether you should also be filing for disability, that is exactly the kind of question we answer on the phone every day.
Common Questions
How do I know if Ozempic caused my gastroparesis? Timing matters. If your stomach problems started after you began taking the drug and you had no prior history of gastroparesis, that is a strong indicator. A gastric emptying study can confirm the diagnosis. Your doctor’s records documenting when symptoms started relative to when you started the medication will be important evidence.
Can I file a lawsuit if I am still taking the medication? You can, but talk to your doctor first about your treatment plan. The legal claim is based on whether the manufacturer failed to warn you about the risk. Whether you continue the medication is a medical decision between you and your doctor.
Can I get disability benefits while my lawsuit is pending? Yes. The lawsuit and disability benefits are completely separate. If your condition prevents you from working, you should file for disability benefits now regardless of where the lawsuit stands. Some long-term disability policies have offset clauses that could reduce your benefit by any lawsuit settlement you receive later. We review those policies so nothing catches you off guard. Learn more about chronic illness and long-term disability claims.
Is there a deadline to file an Ozempic or Wegovy lawsuit? Yes. Statutes of limitations vary by state, and the clock usually starts when you were diagnosed or when you reasonably should have known the drug caused your condition. Do not assume you have plenty of time. Call sooner rather than later so the deadline does not become a problem.
What is the difference between a class action and an MDL? A class action is one lawsuit filed on behalf of a large group. Everyone in the group gets the same outcome. An MDL groups individual lawsuits together for the early legal work but keeps each case separate. Your compensation in an MDL depends on your specific injuries, medical costs, and how the drug affected your life. The GLP-1 litigation is an MDL, not a class action.
How much could an Ozempic lawsuit be worth? There is no way to know yet. No global settlements have been reached as of 2026, and bellwether trials have not started. Legal analysts have estimated total manufacturer liability could exceed $2 billion [VERIFY], but individual case values will depend on the severity of your injury, your medical costs, lost income, and how the condition has affected your daily life. Anyone who promises you a specific dollar amount before the litigation plays out is guessing.
If you took a weight loss or diabetes drug and your stomach has not been right since, do not write it off as a side effect that will pass. And if that condition is keeping you from earning a paycheck, you are dealing with two problems, not one. The lawsuit addresses the legal claim. Disability benefits address the income gap. Both have deadlines. Call 1-800-CANT-WORK today. The consultation is free and you pay nothing unless we recover money for you.
Have questions about your claim? Call 1-800-CANT-WORK for a free consultation. Visit 1800CANTWORK.com or email contact@ericshore.com
Eric Shore is a personal injury and disability attorney at the Law Offices of Eric A. Shore. He has been representing injured and disabled clients since 1994. The firm has recovered more than $250 million for over 40,000 clients across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Florida.
