A Minnesota Xarelto lawsuit may be an option for patients who have suffered severe complications after taking the medication. Xarelto is a commonly used blood thinner that treats and prevents blood clots in order to lower the risk of stroke in patients who have atrial fibrillation. The drug’s makers originally developed Xarelto to be an alternative to the widely used blood thinner, Warfarin. The drug has become the focus of numerous lawsuits, with patients alleging severe side effects from taking the drug ranging from uncontrollable bleeding to death. Affected patients and their families may be able to pursue compensation with the help of a Minnesota Xarelto lawsuit attorney.
For more information, contact Attorney Group for Minnesota. 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 lawsuit attorney who can assist you throughout the legal process.
How Does Xarelto Work?
Also called rivaroxaban, Xarelto is an anticoagulant that belongs in the category of drugs known as Xa blockers as described by Healthline. Factor Xa increases the amount of thrombin in one’s blood, which plays a role in the body’s clotting ability. This is due to thrombin’s capacity for causing platelets to become stuck together, and in certain people, this can lead to an increase in the creation of blood clots. Xa blockers inhibit thrombin production, which in turn prevents potentially harmful blood clots from forming.
Why is Xarelto Prescribed
Deep vein thrombosis, or DVT, is a condition that can be deadly under some circumstances. According to Medicinenet.com, blood clots are not inherently dangerous on their own. However, they can become a threat if they migrate to the lungs, a condition called pulmonary embolism, or PE. The term deep vein thrombosis comes from the fact that within the arms and legs, there are deep veins and is here that the formation of clots can occur.
WebMD lists the potential complications associated with PE, including the accumulation of fluid in the lining of the lungs and chest cavity and the death of lung tissues due to diminished blood flow. In the event blood flow is stopped completely, death can occur without immediate medical attention. Sufferers also face a risk of heart attack, arrhythmia and dangerously amplified pressure within the lungs.
Risk of Bleeding
The most dangerous potential side effect of Xarelto is uncontrollable internal bleeding. This is a side effect of other anticoagulants, however, with Xarelto there was no antidote at the time the drug was introduced that could be used to flush the drug out of the system in order to stop the bleeding. As a result, there was an increased difficulty for physicians to treat patients suffering from complications that were connected to the medication.
Additionally, there is no reliable monitoring method to determine which patients are more likely to suffer from uncontrollable bleeding. However, certain drug interactions have been known to play a role, including medicine for cardiovascular issues and aspirin. Elderly patients, those suffering from kidney failure and patients who are severely over or underweight may also have a higher risk.
Other Side Effects
While Xarelto’s bleeding risk is quite severe, patients taking the drug also face a range of additional side effects. The Mayo Clinic offers the following risks:
- Eye irritation
- Pain in the muscles and joints
- Unpleasant breath
- Irregular heart beat
- Painful urination
- Skin lesions
More serious side effects include stools that appear red or black in color, dizziness, nosebleeds and weakness in the legs. In the event these effects occur, patients are urged to seek medical treatment immediately to prevent further damage or death from occurring.
Xarelto Lawsuit Claims
Patients who claim to have been harmed by Xarelto have pointed to the drug’s manufacturer, Johnson & Johnson, for its alleged negligence in marketing the medication. These claims were highlighted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which cited Xarelto’s misleading promotional materials. For instance, product marketing minimized risks and touted Xarelto’s effectiveness. It also made claims that dosage adjustments were not necessary, while the product insert stated that doses should be decreased for patients suffering from kidney problems.
Thousands of cases related to the drug are pending in federal court. Many of these lawsuits, which allege injury or even death related to the taking of the drug, claim that the manufacturers knowingly downplayed the risks of Xarelto and marketed it as a beneficial anticoagulant alternative, despite knowing that it could cause uncontrollable bleeding.
As there is usually a statute of limitations on when you can file a claim, it is important that you consult with a Minnesota Xarelto lawsuit attorney to find out what your options are.
How a Minnesota Xarelto Lawsuit Can Help
Drug manufacturers have a duty to ensure their products are accompanied by full and accurate instructions and warnings to guide prescribing doctors and other health care providers in making treatment decisions. 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.
The Time You Have to File a Claim is Limited. Contact Us Today.
For more information, contact Attorney Group for Minnesota. You can fill out the form on this page or contact us by phone or email.
After you contact us, an attorney will follow up to answer questions that you might have. There is no cost or obligation to speak with us, and any information you provide will be kept confidential.
Please note that the law limits the time you have to pursue a claim or file a lawsuit for an injury. If you think you have a case, you should not delay taking action.