Boehringer Hit With Pradaxa Wrongful Death Lawsuit

Nebraska plaintiff Jeff Grinvalds filed a Pradaxa wrongful death lawsuit against Boehringer Ingelheim after his wife, Liesma Grinvalds, suffered from uncontrollable bleeding allegedly caused by the anticoagulant drug, leading to her death.

Mrs. Grinvalds was prescribed Pradaxa to treat her non-valvular atrial fibrillation. The drug was meant to help prevent stroke and other blood-clot injuries. Soon after being prescribed the drug, Mrs. Grinvalds started experiencing the side effects of uncontrollable internal bleeding.

Due to the fact that there is no known reversal agent for Pradaxa bleeding, the Mrs. Grinvalds ultimately died from the incident.

Mr. Grinvalds alleges that Boehringer Ingelheim made no effort to notify him, his wife, or their physicians about the dangers linked to the drug, or any other side effect that might have come along with Pradaxa.  There were no warnings or indications on the drug’s label, nor had any relevant studies been pointed out.

Mr. Grinvalds asserts that Boehringer had the responsibility to warn his wife and other patients about the dangers of their product, because they rely on the accuracy of the information given at the time the drug is prescribed.

Due to the fact that uncontrollable bleeding is such a dangerous possibility, it had been vital for Boehinrger to properly disclose any related information to it.  Because Boehringer failed to properly warn Mrs. Grinvalds, she died prematurely of internal bleeding. Mr. Grinvalds states that his wife never would have used the drug, if she had known about this possibility.

Mr. Grinvalds alleges that Boehringer Ingelheim manufactured, sold, distributed, and marketed a dangerous drug. His charges against the Pradaxa drug maker include negligence, false advertising, concealing information and misrepresenting a product.

Overview of Pradaxa Complications

Pradaxa (dabigatran etexilate) is the second anticoagulant in the history of the United States to be approved by the U.S.Food and Drug Administration. It was approved on Oct. 19, 2010 to help prevent blood-clot injuries in high risk patients.

Pradaxa is normally prescribed to prevent stroke and systemic embolism for patients who have non-valvular atrial fibrillation. It is manufactured and marketed by Boehringer Ingelheim and is one of the most popular drugs in the United States, earning $1 billion in sales in Boehringer’s 2011 fiscal year.  While it rose to fame fairly quickly, it was also quickly learned that there were severe complications related to Pradaxa that had yet to be resolved.

However, in comparison to its predecessor, Warfarin, there was no reversal agent in the event of uncontrollable internal bleeding. Because of this complication, many patients suffered the events of uncontrollable bleeding, often leading to hospitalization and death.

Boehringer had initially been proud of their accomplishment by breaking into the anticoagulant market with Pradaxa, even advertising their drug to be quicker and more efficient than Warfarin, based on their preclinical trials. Now Boehringer is backtracking on these advertisements and is trying resolve many product injury lawsuits against them.

Boehringer Ingelheim is working on developing a reversal agent for Pradaxa, but no updates have been released as of yet.

Despite all the deaths and serious injuries reported, the warning label for Pradaxa does not discuss the possibility of internal bleeding in detail, only indicating a slight possibility of hemorrhage.

Pradaxa Litigation Movement

The Pradaxa lawsuit is Jeff Grinvalds v. Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Case No. 3:13-cv-51683-DRH-SCW, in the U.S. District Court in the Southern District of Illinois.

The Pradaxa MDL is In Re: Pradaxa (dabigatran etexilate) Product Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2385, in the U. S. District Court in the Southern District of Illinois.

Free Case Evaluation

If you or someone you know has been the victim of a Pradaxa internal bleeding injury, you have legal options. Please visit the Pradaxa Internal Bleeding Class Action Lawsuit Investigation. There, you can submit your claim for a free legal review and if it qualifies for legal action, a seasoned Pradaxa lawyer will contact you for a free, no-obligation consultation. You will be guided through the litigation process at no out-of-pocket expenses or hidden fees. The Pradaxa attorneys working this investigation do not get paid until you do.