The U.S. District Judge responsible for overseeing the recently established federal multidistrict litigation (MDL) for all federally-filed Xarelto lawsuits has scheduled an initial status conference to take place on January 29, 2015. At this time, the judge will meet with the legal counsel for both parties and discuss how the coordinated pretrial proceedings will be organized.
If you or a loved one took Xarelto and suffered from a potentially life-threatening bleeding event or a loved one died from a bleeding event and you believe that Xarelto caused the adverse event, you may be able to participate in Xarelto litigation. Among the adverse reactions allegedly associated with Xarelto are:
• Death due to uncontrollable bleeding
• Brain hemorrhaging
• Rectal bleeding
• Intestinal bleeding
• Bleeding in the lungs
• Deep vein thrombosis
About Xarelto
Xarelto was first introduced in 2011 as an alternative to the well-known blood thinner warfarin, which has been the go-to treatment for patients at risk of developing blood clots. However, while hemorrhaging in warfarin patients can be reversed with an injection of vitamin K (potassium), there is no known reversal agent for Xarelto that can stop the blood-thinning effects of the drug. Several reports involving death or severe injury associated with uncontrollable bleeding have been linked to the drug.
Xarelto Litigation
Following a hearing in December 2014 before the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation, all product liability lawsuits filed in U.S. federal courts alleging bleeding problems caused by Xarelto have been centralized in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana before U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon. MDL consolidation helps parties avoid conflicting rulings from different judges and reduces duplicative discovery.
At the time that the Xarelto MDL was established, at least 21 complaints were pending in 10 federal courts in the U.S. As lawyers handling Xarelto cases continue to review and pursue claims on behalf of their clients who had allegedly suffered bleeding complications due to Xarelto, it is anticipated that several thousand lawsuits will be filed across the country.
On December 17, 2014, Judge Fallon scheduled an initial pretrial conference in the Xarelto litigation for January 29, 2015, requesting that attorneys for the drug makers and plaintiffs submit any agenda items or proposed case management orders by January 27. The parties were also directed to submit position statements by January 20, outlining their preliminary understanding of the facts involved in the Xarelto litigation as well as the critical factual and legal issues that will be presented.
Xarelto Bleeding Lawsuits
Cases pending in the Xarelto litigation MDL raise similar claims against the drug’s manufacturers, Janssen Pharmaceuticals and its parent company, Johnson & Johnson, and allege that the companies neglected to adequately warn the medical community and consumers of the potential bleeding risks associated with the popular anticoagulant, as well as the lack of an effective antidote, or reversal agent, that would allow physicians to control sudden hemorrhaging that could develop in patients using the drug.
As the litigation continues to grow, attorneys anticipate that a small number of lawsuits will be chosen as “bellwether” claims during the pretrial proceedings that will then be prepared for early trial dates in the MDL. While the outcomes of these bellwether trials are not binding on other cases in the MDL, they can help both the plaintiffs and the defendants gauge how similar claims may be resolved in the future and how juries may respond to certain testimonies and evidence, potentially facilitating negotiations to reach settlements.
Did Xarelto Cause You or a Loved One Harm? Contact Attorney Group Today
Attorney Group can help you decide if you have a claim against Xarelto. If you do, an affiliated attorney can file a Xarelto lawsuit on your behalf without any out-of-pocket costs from you. You may be entitled to monetary compensation to cover expenses such as medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering. Contact Attorney Group for additional details about how you can participate in Xarelto litigation.
