Pradaxa Lawsuit Alleges Older Are Drugs Safer

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A husband and wife team has filed a lawsuit against drug company Boehringer Ingelheim, the manufacturers of the drug Pradaxa. Their Pradaxa lawsuit alleges that the drug caused a life-threatening bleeding event. It joins existing litigation against Boehringer Ingelheim over Pradaxa side effects.

The Pradaxa lawsuit was filed by Joseph Zambryski and his wife Gladys Zambryski. According to the Pradaxa lawsuit, Joseph Zambryski was prescribed Pradaxa to reduce his risk of stroke. Under a doctor’s prescription, Joseph began taking Pradaxa in March 2011 and continued taking it through July 2011, when he suffered from a serious uncontrolled bleeding event.

Pradaxa belongs to a class of drugs called blood thinners or anticoagulants. These drugs are designed to dissolve blood clots and make it harder for blood clots to form. This can decrease a person’s risk of stroke, since strokes are situations in which blood clots form within the blood vessels and block the supply of fresh blood to the brain. However, all anticoagulants carry the risk of uncontrolled bleeding. In this situation, the drug prevents a person’s blood from clotting. In this state, even a very minor cut or bruise can cause the person to experience life-threatening bleeding. The Zambryskis’ lawsuit — like others — alleges that Pradaxa is more likely to cause this side effect than older anticoagulants.

According to the Pradaxa lawsuit, research shows users taking Pradaxa and an older drug called Warfarin experienced roughly the same rate of serious bleeding events. However, Pradaxa lacks a reversal agent. In older anticoagulants like Warfarin, the drug can be effectively turned off if patients experience an uncontrolled bleeding event. Pradaxa lacks such an agent. The Zambryskis contend that this, and other factors, make Pradaxa too dangerous.

The Zambryskis’ Pradaxa lawsuit joins similar lawsuits in a type of mass legal action called multidistrict litigation or an MDL. MDLs are similar to class action lawsuits, in that a group of plaintiffs allege that they have all suffered similar harm at the hands of the same defendant. The main difference is that MDLs start out as individual lawsuits later combined into a single legal action while class action lawsuits are filed on behalf of a group. MDLs are more common than class action lawsuits since individuals in drug lawsuits are typically scattered around the country, making it harder for them to coordinate before filing a lawsuit. MDLs and class action lawsuits are designed to streamline the legal process by combing what could be dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of individual lawsuits into a single coordinated action.

The Pradaxa bleeding lawsuit is formally titled Joseph Zambryski, et al. v. Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc., et al., Case No. 14-cv-50370, filed within the MDL In Re: Pradaxa (Dabigatran Etexilate) Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2385, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois.

Join a Free Pradaxa Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you or a loved one were medically diagnosed with internal bleeding problems after using Pradaxa, you may be able to take legal action against the drug’s manufacturer. Joining a Pradaxa class action lawsuit or filing an individual Pradaxa lawsuit may help you recover compensation for medical bills, pain and suffering, and other damages. Obtain a free case evaluation now:

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