Xarelto Lawsuit
A Xarelto lawsuit can help people who have suffered serious health complications after using the prescription anticoagulant. Lawsuits filed against drug makers Bayer Healthcare and Johnson & Johnson claim the drug makers failed to properly inform the public about serious and potentially life-threatening risks associated with the medication, including internal bleeding, gastrointestinal bleeding and other severe bleeding events. Affected patients and their families may be eligible to file a Xarelto lawsuit and seek compensation for their injuries.
For more information, contact Attorney Group. We offer free, confidential, no obligation consultations. We can help answer your questions, and if you choose to pursue a case we can connect you with an affiliated Xarelto attorney who can assist you throughout the legal process.
What is Xarelto?
Xarelto is a blood thinner medication and anticoagulant that was approved in 2011 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the prevention of blood clots. It is manufactured by Bayer and marketed in the U.S. by Johnson & Johnson’s subsidiary, Janssen Pharmaceuticals. Patients who suffer from atrial fibrillation are often prescribed this medication because it can significantly reduce the risk of stroke. The medication is also used to help prevent blood clots in patients who have undergone knee and hip replacements.
Irregular heart rhythms can cause the blood in the heart to pool and accumulate, creating clots that can move through the blood vessels to the brain, cutting off oxygen and causing a stroke. Clots that migrate to the lungs, brain and legs can potentially lead to severe health complications, including death.
Since its approval, the medication has been reportedly named in hundreds of injury reports to the FDA. Many lawsuits filed by Xarelto patients, with the help of a Xarelto attorney, claim that the drug is dangerous and defective because there is no antidote to reverse its effects in the event of severe and uncontrollable bleeding. Xarelto lawsuits also claim that the drug makers were negligent in failing to disclose these severe and potentially fatal Xarelto bleeding risks.
How Does Xarelto Work?
Xarelto does not actually thin the blood, although it is referred to as a blood thinner. Instead, Xarelto works by selectively inhibiting Factor Xa, an important enzyme that helps in blood coagulation. While anticoagulants such as Xarelto do not dissolve existing blood clots in the body, they may be able to help prevent them from becoming larger. The makers of Xarelto claim that the drug may have certain advantages over other blood thinners and anticoagulants because they do not require frequent monitoring or re-dosing.
Xarelto Risks
Although the risk of bleeding is a known side effect of blood thinners, patients who have brought lawsuits against the makers of Xarelto also claim that the drug causes a significantly higher risk of potentially fatal hemorrhaging that cannot be stopped or controlled. The drug now comes with warnings about the risk of bleeding related injuries on its label. Some patients claim to have suffered complications from taking Xarelto right after having surgery.
Xarelto Lawsuit Claims
Lawsuits filed by a Xarelto attorney allege that the drug makers knew that the medication was defective yet continued to market it as a viable alternative to other traditional anticoagulant drugs on the market, such as warfarin. Allegations were made in a representative Xarelto death lawsuit claim that the drug makers:
- Failed to disclose risks of bleeding with Xarelto
- Deceived the public about the drug’s convenience and benefits to increase sales
- Failed to conduct appropriate clinical trials on the effects of Xarelto on humans before starting marketing efforts
- Concealed their knowledge of the link between Xarelto and bleeding
Unlike other anticoagulants whose adverse effects can be managed with vitamin K, there is no Xarelto antidote. Accordingly, doctors may be unable to stop uncontrollable bleeding, potentially leading to the patient’s injury or death.
According to Xarelto bleeding lawsuits, the drug makers were allegedly more concerned about making profits than they were about informing the public and doctors about the risks and dangers of bleeding with Xarelto.
Xarelto attorney claims include allegations that the drug makers misled the public by marketing their product as a superior option to other blood thinner medications on the market, despite knowledge that it was significantly likely to increase the risk of severe internal bleeding compared to similar medications. The drug maker also allegedly did not provide adequate information to the medical community on how to treat patients who suffer from serious and potentially fatal complications.
Patients who claim to have suffered complications from the use of this medication have filed Xarelto lawsuits against Janssen Pharmaceuticals and Bayer Healthcare with the help of a Xarelto attorney. According to these lawsuits, the drug is defective and may be potentially fatal. Since there is no antidote to Xarelto, patients claim they have no medical recourse to counteract the adverse effects of the drug to prevent excessive and potentially life-threatening internal bleeding if necessary.
Xarelto Side Effects
Xarelto can cause bleeding much like any blood thinner. The difference is that Xarelto does not have an antidote in the case that uncontrolled bleeding occurs. Because of this, patients taking this drug are at a higher level of risk for bleeding to death. Although numerous patients take Xarelto and experience little or no side effects, many other patients allege severe, life-threatening side effects have occurred after taking Xarelto, including internal bleeding. According to the FDA, common Xarelto side effects may include:
- Back Pain
- Swollen or bleeding gums
- Bloody or tarry stools
- Problems with bowel and bladder functions
- Blood in urine
- Coughing or vomiting blood
- Dizziness
- Red, brown or copper colored urine
- Unstoppable bleeding from cuts and scrapes
- Excessive bruising
- Headaches
Some patients may also experience serious allergic reactions, including hives; difficult breathing; and swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat.
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Lauren A. on May 16, 2016
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Severe Xarelto Side Effects
According to a lawsuit filed by a Xarelto attorney, the FDA received over 2,000 reports of severe adverse events related to Xarelto use in its first full year on the market. Of those reported events, 151 resulted in death. More severe side effects of Xarelto that have been reported patients’ claims include:
- Pulmonary embolism
- Deep vein thrombosis
- GI bleeding
- Severe leg or ankle swelling
- Hematoma
- Hemoglobin reduction
- Thrombosis
- Cerebrovascular complications
Xarelto GI Bleed
Gastrointestinal bleeding is a severe side effect that has been allegedly linked to Xarelto. This condition can happen anywhere inside of the digestive tract, including the esophagus, upper intestine, colon, bowel and anus. While there are many ways a potential Xarelto GI bleed can be detected, it often requires the use of time-intensive tests that may not be beneficial to a patient who is suffering a severe and life-threatening hemorrhage. Many patients with severe GI bleeds need to receive blood transfusions and ongoing treatment.
If a patient is suffering from a Xarelto GI bleed, his or her symptoms may include:
- Vomiting blood
- Abdominal pain
- Black or tarry stools
- Faintness, weakness, or dizziness
- Shortness of breath
- Paleness
- Fatigue
If the onset of gastrointestinal bleeding is severe, patients may also experience shock, weakness, shortness of breath, and extremely low blood pressure. Lawsuits allege that the drug makers failed to disclose these severe Xarelto gastrointestinal risks.
Xarelto Lawsuit News
- January 2017Xarelto lawsuit joins 15,000 other claims pending in Xarelto multidistrict litigation (MDL).
- April 2016News reports state that a Xarelto lawsuit has been filed by a patient who claims to have suffered internal bleeding and lasting health damage caused by the drug.
- February 2016Bellwether case selection continues in the Xarelto MDL, with parties identifying representative cases to go to trial on the claims against blood makers.
- April 2015Over 400 lawsuits pending in the Xarelto multidistrict litigation (MDL) in the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana, according to the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation. Approximately 204 additional Xarelto lawsuits are pending in a consolidated state mass tort proceeding in Pennsylvania. Lawsuits allege that Xarelto causes severe internal bleeding and related complications.
- December 2014U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation approves consolidation of all federally filed Xarelto cases into an MDL in the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana.
- November 2011The approval of Xarelto by the FDA is expanded from treating only deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism to helping to prevent blood clots in patients with atrial fibrillation. The FDA receives the first reports of death linked to Xarelto use.
Is there a Xarelto Settlement?
With many Xarelto lawsuits filed by a Xarleto attorney alleging severe, life-threatening bleeding complications from the drug pending in an MDL in Louisiana, patients may begin to question whether a Xarelto settlement has been reached. Although there are hundreds of Xarelto cases, there is no current information regarding whether a Xarelto settlement has been reached.
If a settlement is reached, however, it generally does not affect another patient’s right to bring his or her own individual case. Following a potential Xarelto settlement, other patients who have been injured or family members of those who have died after taking Xarelto will not be barred from subsequently bringing claims against the drug makers.
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Is There a Xarelto Class Action Lawsuit?
Currently, there is not a Xarelto class action lawsuit in the U.S., however, thousands of Xarelto cases have been consolidated into an MDL in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. A small group of lawsuits pending in the Xarelto MDL are reportedly scheduled to begin taking part in a series of bellwether trials in March 2017.
When a certain number of representative plaintiffs file a complaint with the help of a Xarelto attorney alleging that they and other members of a “class” of plaintiffs were similarly harmed by the actions of the defendant or defendants, it is known as a class action lawsuit. The members of the class in a class action lawsuit often seek similar compensation, and settlements of class action cases apply to all class members. However, members can choose to opt-out of the settlement and pursue their own individual claims.
MDLs, which are exclusive to federal courts, are established when a number of different people allege that a defendant or defendants caused harm to them in different ways. The damages to the plaintiffs are typically unique to where a class action is not appropriate and where the pursuit of individual claims would be inefficient. An MDL is comprised of a number of individual cases that are transferred to a single court for pre-trial proceedings.
How Long Do I Have to Pursue a Claim?
The amount of time you have to pursue a claim or lawsuit varies from state to state. This time limit is known as the statute of limitations. If you do not bring a claim against the drug manufacturers before the statute of limitations for your state expires, you will barred from filing a claim against them in the future for any injuries or injustices you or your family may have suffered as a result of Xarelto. It is important that you speak to a Xarelto attorney to learn more about the time you have to pursue a claim for compensation.
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How a Xarelto Attorney Can Help
Drug makers have a duty to provide safe products. If there are risks of harm associated with their products, they also must provide adequate warnings. If a drug maker fails to fulfill this duty, it could be held liable in lawsuits for injuries that may result.
People injured by Xarelto may be eligible to recover money for:
- Medical Expenses
- Lost Wages
- Pain and Suffering
The families of those who have died may be eligible to recover money for funeral expenses and the pain that comes with losing a loved one.
