Tamara Burns  |  November 30, 2015

Category: Legal News

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pradaxa-bleeding-tubeA Louisiana resident has filed a lawsuit against pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals for allegations that their anticoagulant drug Pradaxa caused her to develop a life-threatening internal bleeding injury

Plaintiff Cleary H. had been prescribed Pradaxa by her cardiologist to treat her heart condition called atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation is an irregular heartbeat that causes poor blood flow throughout the body. Atrial fibrillation can lead to blood clots forming in the heart that may travel to other organs, compromising blood flow.

In November 2014, Cleary was admitted to the hospital due to shortness of breath. The hospital determined the reason for her shortness of breath was a bleed in her gastrointestinal tract.

The Pradaxa lawsuit claims that as a result of taking the blood thinner medication, Cleary suffered severe and permanent injuries, physical impairment and disfigurement, mental and physical pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, loss of earnings and earnings capacity. She also incurred substantial medical costs and will continue to do so in the future as a result of her injury.

Allegations against Boehringer Ingelheim claim that the drug was unreasonably dangerous and failed to contain adequate warnings. There are also claims of breaches of express and implied warranty.

Cleary is seeking recovery for damages related to mental and physical pain and suffering, medical expenses past and present, actual and economic damages, costs of litigation and pre- and post-judgment interest.

The Pradaxa Bleeding Lawsuit is Case No. 2:15-cv-02612-PM-KK in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, Lafayette Division.

Pradaxa Side Effects

Pradaxa (dagibatran) is an anticoagulant medication approved by the FDA in 2010. Its main purpose is to reduce the risk of stroke due to atrial fibrillation. Pradaxa works by blocking thrombin, an enzyme that is responsible for clot formation. It was the first new treatment alternative to an older anticoagulant, warfarin (Coumadin), in sixty years.

Pradaxa was seen as a superior alternative to warfarin by many physicians because it was easier to administer to patients without worry of diet restrictions and drug interactions and it required less frequent monitoring of patients. Like all blood thinning medications, however, warfarin also had the side effect of causing an increased risk of bleeding.

While warfarin was more cumbersome in its use, it did have one important benefit that Pradaxa and other new generation anticoagulants lack: an effective antidote.

When a patient is taking warfarin and begins to have a bleed, the patient can be given a reversal agent to stop the bleed and restore the body’s natural clotting mechanism to treat the bleed. Fresh frozen plasma and intravenous vitamin K are most often used as the antidote to uncontrolled bleeding. The antidote is an easy, effective way to reduce an uncontrolled bleed.

Up until this year, there has not been an antidote for reversing bleeds due to Pradaxa. Boehringer Ingelheim has been working fiercely to develop such an antidote to counter the effects of Pradaxa and has secured FDA approval as of just last month.

The approval of the antidote was not without controversy, however. Some agencies have questioned the fast-tracked approval on such an agent, worrying that the lack of extensive clinical trials will bring about more unintended consequences.

Despite this new development that will hopefully prevent life-threatening bleeds in patients taking Pradaxa in the future, for many former Pradaxa users, the development of the antidote did not happen in time for them to avoid life-changing, or life-ending, bleeds.

Pradaxa Lawsuit Information

If you or a loved one has suffered Pradaxa internal bleeding or other personal injury as a result of taking Pradaxa, you may have a legal claim. A Pradaxa attorney is available to review your case in a complimentary consultation to assist you in discovering your options for pursuing legal action.

In general, Pradaxa lawsuits are filed individually by each plaintiff and are not class actions.

Do YOU have a legal claim? Fill out the form on this page now for a free, immediate, and confidential case evaluation. The Pradaxa attorneys who work with Top Class Actions will contact you if you qualify to let you know if an individual lawsuit or Pradaxa class action lawsuit is best for you. Hurry — statutes of limitations may apply.

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