Dallas Fort Worth Injury Lawyer Blog
The Yasmin/Yaz lawyers at the Dr. Shezad Malik Law Firm are investigating potential Yasmin/Yaz lawsuits throughout the United States for claims on behalf of patients who took the drug and now suffer from deep vein thrombosis (blood clots in legs), pulmonary embolism, and/or strokes. Yasmin/Yaz have also been associated with heart attacks and death. These Yasmin/Yaz lawsuits allege product liability, negligence and failure to warn claims against Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceutical.
A MDL hearing has been set in the JPML Court in Richmond, Virginia on September 24, 2009.
MultiDistrict Litigation is what happens when multiple cases from different federal courts are brought together. It only applies to cases filed in federal courts, though some states have their own version of MultiDistrict Litigation (for example, Philadelphia has a mass torts program).
When there are numerous federal cases involving common questions of fact, the Judicial Panel on MultiDistrict Litigation (JPML) can decide to bring all of those cases together for coordinated pre-trial proceedings.
By bringing these cases together, parties to the cases can share in the cost-benefits of avoiding duplicative common discovery. For example, in an individual case by a person alleging Yaz caused a stroke, that plaintiff would have to pay for the costs of depositions of Bayer’s corporate representatives and scientists. However, in an MDL, where many Yaz plaintiffs are brought together, those depositions take place once, every plaintiff gets to use them, and the cost is split among all of them.
Additionally, bringing similar cases together in an MDL avoids inconsistent rulings—a judge in one court might find that some evidence is irrelevant, while the same evidence may be ruled relevant by a different judge in another court. That scenario is avoided in an MDL, where one judge will make all of the pretrial rulings.
Finally, having these cases before one judge saves time and judicial resources—instead of dozens or hundreds of judges, clerks, and administrative time being dedicated to dozens or hundreds of cases, there is only one judge and the resources of his/her court brought to bear on the cases.
It is highly anticipated that Yaz/Yasmin will be afforded MDL Status.
MDL is not the same as class actions. A class action is one case with a lot of people in it; an MDL is a lot of people with individual cases brought together for a time.
Most class actions are for consumer-type injuries—for example, a defective toaster, where everyone has basically the same injury. In a personal injury action like those in the Yasmin/Yaz cases, each person has an individual case and unique damages.
One woman’s pulmonary embolism may have caused different long-term injuries than another woman’s stroke. Therefore, the Yasmin/Yaz cases cannot be lumped together in a class action. In an MDL, each case is unique and may be resolved separately.
Yaz, which was approved by the FDA in 2006, and Yasmin, which was approved in 2001, are oral contraceptives that combine estrogen and a fourth generation progestin to prevent pregnancy.
Yasmin/Yaz Causes Blood Clots, Pulmonary Embolism, And Strokes.
Many Yasmin/Yaz experts believe that the new fourth generation progestin component of the drug, drospirenone is more dangerous than the progestin used in comparable birth control medication.
Yasmin and Yaz are combination oral contraceptives, meaning that they contain both estrogen and progestin hormones to prevent pregnancy. The difference between Yaz and Yasmin is the amount of the estrogen. Yasmin contains 30 mcg ethinyl estradiol, while Yaz contains a lower dose of 20 mcg.
Yaz is also different because it is taken on a 24/4 day cycle instead of the usual 21/7 day cycle. This refers to the dosing schedule and means that women take active pills for three extra days and inactive pills for three fewer days.
The progestin used in Yasmin/Yaz is drospirenone, and is a new fourth-generation progestin which has not been used in any other type of birth control pill to date (with the exception of a generic of Yasmin/Yaz).
Drospirenone increases potassium levels, which may disrupt heart rhythms, or slow down blood flow, to allow the formation of clots. Those blood clots can also lead to stroke or pulmonary embolism.
According to a recent Yaz/Yasmin lawsuit in Ohio, over 50 deaths of Yaz and Yasmin users have been reported to the FDA. There is typically vast underreporting of adverse reports in drug death cases.
As a result, in the British Medical Journal, the Dutch College of General Practitioners suggest that its members forgo Yasmin/Yaz and use other forms of birth control, citing the 40 reported cases of venous thrombosis that include the death of a 17 year-old who suddenly collapsed and died after taking Yasmin for six months.
If you or a loved one has used Yasmin/Yaz and have suffered from pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis blood clots, stroke, or heart attack, please call Dr. Shezad Malik Law Firm.
If you or a family member has been personally injured because of the fault of someone else: by the use of dangerous drugs, bad products, or toxic injury etc then please contact the Fort Worth Texas Defective Drugs Product Liability Attorney Dr. Shezad Malik. For a no obligation, free case analysis, please call 817-255-4001 or Contact Me Online.
The Dr. Shezad Malik Law is currently evaluating and accepting Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella Side Effect cases.