Yaz, Yasmin Blood-Clot Allegations Warning: Resource4thePeople Notes $14 Million Jury Award to Woman over Yasmin Prescription
San Diego, CA (PRWEB) April 24, 2014 -- http://www.resource4thepeople.com/defectivedrugs/yasmin.html
Resource4thePeople today provides it latest update for consumers following litigation involving allegations that contraceptives Yaz and Yasmin may cause severe blood-clotting problems with news of a woman being awarded $14 million in a jury trial* centering on that side effect.
Lawyers for the woman, Mariola Zapalski, told jurors during a two-week trial in Cook County, Illinois that she suffered a severe stroke two just weeks after her doctor prescribed Yasmin for her as her method of birth control.
As a result of her stroke the 37-year-old woman suffered a permanent brain injury and is now under 24-hour-a-day medical chair while confined to a wheel chair.
"This case is the most recent to go to trial among thousands of lawsuits in which women claim to have suffered life-threatening blood clots as a result of their use of Yaz or Yasmin as contraceptives," said Resource4thePeople.
"As consumer inquiries continue to increase about these allegations we are announcing the continuation of our policy of free consultations to those seeking legal options for compensation in such cases."
This announcement is made as the latest figures** compiled from official federal court records document 9,426 Yaz and Yasmin (drospirenone) lawsuits from across the country consolidated before a U.S. District Court Judge in the Southern District of Illinois.
The court file*** shows that the women are making common allegations that that Yaz and Yasmin (drospirenone) caused them to develop potentially fatal blood-clotting problems and they are seeking compensation for medical costs and other expenses.
Thousands of these lawsuits are being settled, according to a recent financial report**** from pharmaceutical giant Bayer, the manufacturer of Yaz and Yasmin contraceptives. It shows that the company has agreed to pay out nearly $1.6 billion so far to settle cases in the consolidated lawsuits.
"The fact that there has been a huge amount of compensation paid by Bayer to settle many of these cases does not affect the eligibility of other women to come forward and file their own claims," said Resource4thePeople.
"Any woman who has questions about her eligibility to seek compensation in connection with the allegations involving Yaz and Yasmin is encouraged to take advantage of our consultations to determine her legal options."
The progress of the settlements was recently reported to Judge David R. Herndon and figures about legal costs involving the thousands of lawsuits were detailed in pharmaceutical giant Bayer's stockholder newsletter for the third quarter of 2013.
The massive payoffs were included in the Oct. 31, 2013 posting informing investors about the financial progress of the company, including an update of its legal costs.
In the third quarter financial report Bayer reported the following details:
"As of October 18, 2013, Bayer had reached agreements, without admission of liability, to settle the claims of approximately 7,660 claimants in the U.S. for a total amount of about US$1.575 billion. Bayer has only been settling claims in the U.S. for venous clot injuries (deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism) after a case-specific analysis of medical records on a rolling basis. Such injuries are alleged by about 2,300 of the pending unsettled claimants. Bayer will continue to consider the option of settling such individual lawsuits in the U.S. on a case-by-case basis."
Bayer also has agreed to pay up to $24 million to settle other lawsuits in the multidistrict litigation involving allegations over gall bladder side effects, according to the court file in the litigation.
These settlements are a different component of this consolidated litigation in Illinois, affecting plaintiffs who claimed that they suffered gall bladder injuries because they used Yaz and Yasmin as contraceptives.
The following list of serious health problems are being reviewed by Resource4thePeople's national network of lawyers since the Food and Drug Administration issued an April 10, 2012 Health Warning***** that agency officials had conducted a review and 'concluded that drospirenone-containing birth control pills may be associated with a higher risk for blood clots than other progestin-containing pills.'"
• Heart Attack
• Stroke
• Deep Vein Thrombosis
• Pulmonary Embolism
• Gall bladder Disease
• Temporary or Permanent Disability
• Death
FDA officials announced in their notice that warnings about the blood-clotting risks it had identified from drospirenone-containing birth control pills would be included on warning labels.
Meanwhile, as a Sept. 15, 2013 article****** in the Chicago Tribune points out, federal officials are being asked to escalate warnings about possible blood-clotting problems associated with the contraceptives and at least one consumer non-profit organization has called for the products to be pulled from the marketplace.
The Chicago Tribune article questioned the effectiveness and safety of Yaz and Yasmin contraceptives and cited increased concern about the products from women’s groups:
“Some women's health advocates want a stronger, black-box warning that is more likely to be noticed,” the Tribune reported. “The advocacy group Public Citizen, meanwhile, has placed drugs containing drospirenone — including Yaz, Yasmin, Gianvi and Zarah — on its ‘do not use’ list because they ‘can cause increased blood levels of potassium and (are) no more effective than other oral contraceptives in preventing pregnancy.’ On the Internet, people who call themselves ‘Yaz survivors’ post accounts of their experiences."
In a related matter, the Canadian Broadcasting Company reported on June 12, 2013******* that Health Canada physicians there are linking Yaz and Yasmin to 23 deaths.
Sources:
*Zapalski vs. Aniol et al, Case # 09 L 4061 Cook County Circuit Court, Illinois
**http://www.jpml.uscourts.gov/sites/jpml/files/Pending_MDL_Dockets_By_District-April-15-2014.pdf
***In re: Yasmin and Yaz (Drospirenone) Marketing, Sales Practices and Products Liability Litigation MDL No. 2100, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Illinois
****http://www.stockholders-newsletter-q3-2013.bayer.com/en/explanatory-notes.aspx
*****http://www.fda.gov/drugs/drugsafety/ucm299305.htm
****** http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-09-15/health/ct-met-birth-control-risks-20130915_1_drospirenone-clots-pills
*******http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2013/06/11/birth-control-pills-yaz-yasmin.html
Bill Callahan, iLawSuit, +1 858 602-2749, [email protected]
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