Bloomberg Business reports that Johnson & Johnson and Bayer AG are fighting requests to consolidate lawsuit claims that Xarelto, a blood-thinning medication, caused patients to bleed to death. Patients who are alleging the drug makers downplayed Xarelto bleeding risks and are asking that the cases be consolidated in federal court in East St. Louis, Illinois before a U.S. District Judge for pretrial proceedings.
Contact Attorney Group today if you or a loved one took Xarelto and later suffered bleeding complications. We offer free, no-obligation consultations and can help answer your questions. If you have a case, we can connect you with an affiliated Xarelto lawsuit attorney who can assist you throughout the legal process.
Plaintiffs Seek to Consolidate Cases
65 deaths have reportedly been linked to bleeding caused by Xarelto, which presently lacks an antidote for excessive bleeding that can be caused by the medication. The motion to consolidate the lawsuits comes after a $650 million settlement of similar claims against Pradaxa, a blood-thinner manufactured by Boehringer Ingelheim. Consolidation of cases can help speed the progress of cases, and may encourage Xarelto settlements.
Xarelto attorneys oppose the drug makers’ position that the cases should not be consolidated. As an alternative to the opposition of the request to consolidate, the drug makers are asking that the cases be sent to federal court in New Jersey, near their corporate offices. According to legal counsel for the companies, New Jersey is the “only rationally based forum” for the Xarelto lawsuits. However, Xarelto lawsuit attorneys feel that the panel should focus on the U.S. district judge’s expertise with blood-thinner lawsuits rather than the location of documents and witnesses convenient to the defendants.
Xarelto was initially approved in 2011 to prevent blood clots in patients undergoing hip and knee surgeries. The medication’s use has been extended to patients with potentially deadly lung and leg blood clots, as well as those with irregular heartbeats. Lawsuits allege the manufacturers neglected to properly test the product before putting it on the market, overstated the drug’s effectiveness, and failed to disclose that an antidote was unavailable.
The Time To Pursue a Claim is Limited. Contact Us Today.
If you or a loved one took Xarelto and suffered complications, Attorney Group can help. We can provide you with a free consultation to answer your questions. If you have a case, we can connect you with an affiliated Xarelto attorney who can file a lawsuit on your behalf and help you seek the compensation to which you may be entitled, either through a Xarelto settlement or otherwise.
