The Institute for Safe Medication Practice reports that Pradaxa patients may be five times more likely to die from heavy or internal bleeding than individuals who take warfarin. Individuals who took Pradaxa may be eligible to file a Colorado Pradaxa lawsuit if they took the drug and experienced life-threatening side effects or complications, including pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis, internal bleeding, heart attack, or stroke. If you would like to learn more about your options and determine whether you are eligible to file a Colorado Pradaxa lawsuit, contact Attorney Group for Colorado today.
Pradaxa Overview
Boehringer Ingelheim first introduced Pradaxa in the U.S. in 2010. According to the company, Pradaxa was intended to help reduce an individual’s risk of blood clots due to atrial fibrillation. Patients also received Pradaxa prescriptions if they were scheduled to undergo knee or hip replacement surgeries that would potentially increase their risk of clotting. Pradaxa is designed to work as a blood thinner to reduce the development of blood clots and, as a result, lower the chances that a patient would suffer from a blood clot-related complication.
However, shortly after its release, patients began to submit adverse event reports to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), claiming that they were experiencing internal bleeding, potentially due to the medication. Although Pradaxa is similar to warfarin, several medical experts claim that the former is more dangerous because the manufacturer did not initially release an antidote to reverse its anti-clotting effects. Warfarin can be reversed with a vitamin K injection.
Is Pradaxa Safe?
According to patients, Pradaxa may also cause other common side effects, including gastrointestinal ulcers, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), abdominal pain, vomiting, heartburn, and nausea. You may be eligible to file a Colorado Pradaxa lawsuit if you experienced internal bleeding, identified by one or more of the following signs:
- Coughing up blood
- Easy or unusual bruising
- Dizziness, headaches, fainting
- Heavy or prolonged bleeding
- Coffee ground-colored or bloody vomit
- Frequent or persistent nosebleeds
- Heavy or prolonged menstrual flow
- Persistent or unusual fatigue or weakness
- Pink or dark urine
Boehringer Named in Pradaxa Lawsuits
According to court documents, litigation to handle claims involving Pradaxa has been established in federal court in the Southern District of Illinois. The first bellwether trials will take place in August, September, and November of 2014, with the final two scheduled for January and February of the following year. Several reports announced that Boehringer agreed to pay $650 million to resolve 4,000 Pradaxa lawsuits alleging that the drug can cause internal bleeding, among other complications.
Since Pradaxa’s approval in 2010, the medication has allegedly caused 1,158 fatalities and 12,494 severe or life-threatening injuries. According to adverse event reports submitted to the FDA, there were more reports of complications involving Pradaxa than any other drug on the market in both 2011 and 2012. To find out whether you are eligible to file a Colorado Pradaxa lawsuit, contact Attorney Group for Colorado today.
Contact Attorney Group for Colorado Today
If you believe you are entitled to file a Colorado Pradaxa lawsuit, Attorney Group for Colorado can provide you with a free, no-obligation consultation to help you determine whether you have a case. If you do, the Colorado Injury Attorney Gorup can connect you with one of our affiliated attorneys who can file a Colorado Pradaxa lawsuit on your behalf and assist you throughout the legal process. Call today.
