A woman recently filed a lawsuit in Louisiana federal court alleging she suffered Xarelto gastrointestinal bleeding and joining growing multidistrict litigation (MDL) against the company.

Plaintiff Candace P. filed the lawsuit on Aug. 15, 2018, demanding a trial by jury.

According to the plaintiff, Candace, a resident and citizen of Illinois, ingested Xarelto between May 1, 2016 and Sept. 10, 2016. However, she allegedly suffered Xarelto gastrointestinal bleeding and acute blood loss anemia complications requiring a blood transfusion in September 2016.

Candace’s lawsuit was filed on multiple counts including strict liability, manufacturing defect, design defect, failure to warn, negligence, breach of express warranty, breach of implied warranty, negligent misrepresentation, fraud, and violation of consumer protection laws/consumer fraud laws.

Overview: Xarelto Gastrointestinal Bleeding Lawsuit

The Xarelto multidistrict litigation (MDL) consists of nearly 18,500 lawsuits. An MDL is a specialized handling process that allows complaints to be handled and expedited more quickly. Similar lawsuits are consolidated using an MDL and handled by a single district court.

The Xarelto MDL consists of lawsuits by patients who took the drug who says they suffered several adverse side effects and complications, including serious injuries. Some of these injuries include internal bleeding side effects. Other reported side effects include:

• Retinal hemorrhages
• Abdominal hemorrhages
• Intracranial hemorrhages
• Adrenal bleeding
• Excessive blood loss
• Epidural hematoma
• Stroke
• Wound infection and complication
• Death

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) first approved Xarelto in 2011. It is a blood thinning medication that helps prevent conditions such as blood clots, pulmonary embolism (PE), and deep vein thrombosis (DVT). However, many patients have argued that the drug’s prior lack of an antidote to help stop internal bleeding side effects common to all blood thinning medications put patients and consumers at serious risk.

Although first praised for the ability to quickly act against blood clots, victims who have suffered Xarelto internal bleeding side effects say that the makers of  Xarelto failed to adequately warn about adverse side effects and especially complications stemming from severe internal bleeding.

Xarelto’s manufacturers are being accused of failing to provide results of clinical trials, notifications of required patient monitoring for Xarelto, and of failing for years to warn patients of the lack of a pharmaceutical antidote.

In fact, Xarelto patients says they were left completely unaware that, until recently, there was no antidote to reverse internal bleeding side effects caused by the drug. This is in comparison to the drug’s competing medication, warfarin. Internal bleeding side effects caused by Xarelto can be combated with the administration of vitamin K.

If you or someone you love are a victim of Xarelto side effects, you may be eligible to file a Xarelto lawsuit for conditions such as a bleeding event, stroke, or other severe injury after taking Xarelto. Family members may also be able to file a wrongful death claim on behalf of those who passed away after taking Xarelto.

The Xarelto Gastrointestinal Bleeding Lawsuit is Case No. 2:18-cv-07717-EEF-MBN, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. The Xarelto MDL is in re: Xarelto (Rivaroxaban) Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2592, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.