If you or someone you love has been affected by the use of the drug Pradaxa, there are facts that you should familiarize yourself with. If you are a resident of the state of Alabama, Alabama Pradaxa Attorneys affiliated with Attorney Group for Alabama could be of great assistance regarding Pradaxa lawsuits.
Pradaxa, whose generic name is dabigatran, is a blood-thinning drug that has been widely prescribed by doctors in Alabama and other states for atrial fibrillation and for avoiding strokes. The pharmaceutical company that produces Pradaxa is Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc. and they are the subject of numerous Pradaxa Lawsuits.
Initially Pradaxa was produced for patients as a viable option in place of Warfarin because Warfarin has been found to be easily inactivated by eating anything that contains Vitamin K-2. Also, Warfarin requires constant blood monitoring, whereas Pradaxa does not. Warfarin is also difficult to administer. On the other hand, if a patient taking Warfarin suffers an adverse effect and faces the possibility of bleeding to death, the reaction can be reversed by administering a dose of Vitamin K-2. The same is not true of Pradaxa, which has no reversal mechanism that is effective. Patients on Pradaxa have been reported to bleed to death from just a minor fall. The only method for reversing the blood-thinning properties of Pradaxa is between two and three hours of dialysis to remove the drug from the bloodstream. A patient who is bleeding to death obviously does not have that much available time.
The possible side effects of Pradaxa may include cerebral hemorrhage, cardiac arrest, severe internal bleeding, rectal bleeding, and even stroke, which the drug is supposed to prevent. Many deaths caused by simple falls have reportedly resulted in patients bleeding to death. People who have the highest Pradaxa bleeding risk, according to a recent survey, are patients over 40 years old, especially those whose kidney function is impaired. Residents of Alabama who have been affected by these side effects could benefit from speaking with Alabama Pradaxa Attorneys.
Last year alone, 542 Pradaxa associated deaths were reported to the FDA. That number of deaths far surpasses the deaths caused by all of the other drugs that are monitored by the FDA. There have been reports of a woman who took Pradaxa and fell in her kitchen. She ended up dying of an intracranial hemorrhage. An 83-year-old man fell and hit his head, causing a fatal hemorrhage that was attributed to the use of Pradaxa. The reports to the FDA of serious Pradaxa side effects are staggering and surpass every other monitored drug on the market in a number of categories. There were a total of 3,781 deaths, 644 strokes, 2,367 hemorrhaging cases, and 291 cases of renal failure.
There was an initial hearing on October 3, 2012, regarding a management plan aimed at administration of the Pradaxa lawsuits that are now pending. Those lawsuits are now consolidated. A judge in one court will hear them all. Bellwether trials have been scheduled in order to help both sides in predicting the resolution of future cases. For example, if all of a number of cases were to be found in the favor of the plaintiff, the defendant could come to the realization that the majority of the cases filed could go to trial. In that case, the defendant could come to a settlement with the plaintiffs to avoid a jury verdict and high court costs. This would mean that victims and their families could receive compensation at an earlier date than they normally would if waiting through a lengthy trial process.
Alabama Pradaxa Attonreys Can Help
If you have suffered injuries after taking Pradaxa, or a loved one has been injured or killed after taking Pradaxa, Alabama Pradaxa Attorneys affiliated with Attorney Group for Alabama want to help. Attorney Group for Alabama does not want you to feel alone and confused by the prospect of dealing with a huge drug company in court in your efforts to simply get what you need financially to recover. We can answer your questions, clarify any confusion you may have about your options, and connect you with Alabama Pradaxa Attorneys that will help you pursue appropriate compensation for damages you have endured. So contact Attorney Group for Alabama today for your free consultation.
For more information, visit our Pradaxa Lawsuit Help Center
