A gastrointestinal bleeding lawsuit was filed against drug giant Janssen pharmaceuticals, alleging a Massachusetts man suffered severe internal bleeding as a result of using its popular blood thinner Xarelto.

Plaintiff Robert E. filed this Xarelto bleeding lawsuit, claiming he was first prescribed the anticoagulant by his doctor on May 29, 2013, and continued to take the Janssen medication as directed until April 17, 2014. On this date, Robert suffered gastrointestinal bleeding that he attributes to his use of Xarelto.

This Xarelto Bleeding Lawsuit is Case No. 2:15-cv-04407-EEF-MBN, and is part of the Xarelto MDL In Re: Xarelto (Rivaroxaban) Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2592, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.

What is Xarelto?

Xarelto (rivaroxaban) is a blood thinner manufactured by Janssen. Since 2011, it has been prescribed to treat patients with a high risk of blood clots, especially after they’ve undergone surgery or have been recently diagnosed with atrial fibrillation.

According to reports and lawsuits, some consumers have suffered severe side effects. Some Xarelto complications reported by patients include:

• Uncontrollable internal bleeding
• Gastrointestinal bleeding
• Hemorrhaging
• Deep vein thrombosis
• Pulmonary embolismT

The FDA has received hundreds of adverse event reports involving Xarelto bleeding complications, including some deaths.

Xarelto is one of three new generation blood thinners, which also includes Pradaxa and Eliquis. These three drugs were marketed as superior alternatives to the traditional blood thinner Warfarin (coumadin). However, what the makers of the new anticoagulants failed to mention was that Xarelto and its counterparts lack a reversal agent.

Should a patient on Warfarin suffer bleeding complications, they can be given a dose of Vitamin K to reverse the effects. However, if a Xarelto patient suffers uncontrollable bleeding, they must be rushed to the hospital and wait until their body naturally works the drug out of their system. This process usually requires several blood transfusions.

Background on Xarelto Litigation

Robert is just one of many individuals who have filed Xarelto lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson’s drug subsidiary Janssen. There are over 2,000 Xarelto bleeding lawsuits filed in federal courts across the country that have been consolidated in the Xarelto multidistrict litigation in a Louisiana federal court before U.S. District Judge Eldon Fallon.

Xarelto lawsuits are usually filed by the individual who suffered a bleeding injury after taking the blood thinner or by family members, especially in wrongful death cases in which the patient allegedly died because of Xarelto bleeding complications.

A personal injury lawsuit allows the injured part to sue for compensation because of the physical, mental, and emotional pain and suffering they endured because of a company’s pharmaceutical product. A Xarelto lawsuit may also allow an individual to receive compensation for medical bills.

If you or someone you know suffered gastrointesintal bleeding, pulmonary bleeding, or deep vein thrombosis after taking Xarelto, you may be eligible to file a lawsuit. A Xarelto lawyer can determine  if a case warrants litigation.