In February 2013, the massive litigation over Actos bladder cancer allegations had three case management orders.

Actos is a drug designed to treat type-2 diabetes. Type-2 diabetes is a lifelong chronic condition in which patients lose the ability to control the amount of glucose (sugar) in their blood. Complications from type-2 diabetes can be life-threatening, so diabetics require drugs like Actos to help control their blood sugar. However, concerns about Actos bladder cancer have dogged the drug.

The FDA has issued a series of warnings about the risk of Actos bladder cancer. This has come in response to a number of research studies that have found that patients taking Actos had an increased risk of bladder cancer compared to their peers. Additionally, Actos bladder cancer studies found a dose-dependent relationship, meaning that patients who took more Actos had a higher risk of bladder cancer, strengthening the assertion that Actos increases the risk of bladder cancer.

So many Actos bladder cancer lawsuits have been filed that the U.S. Court system has resorted to a process called a multidistrict litigation or MDL. MDLs coordinate similar suits together. This allows early Actos lawsuits to set precedents to influence later Actos lawsuits. While MDLs do substantially streamline the legal system, they require more organization than a single Actos bladder cancer lawsuit would require.

Over 3,500 Actos bladder cancer lawsuits have been filed, and the MDL has had three separate organizational orders in February 2015. The case management orders are responsible for organization of the various Actos lawsuits, including creating a pathway for state-level Actos lawsuits to move into the large MDL, conditions for dismissal of Actos bladder cancer lawsuits, and the matter of punitive damages.

Punitive damages are a type of award in certain lawsuits in U.S. court. Punitive damages are monetary awards to plaintiffs designed to punish offenders and discourage further misconduct. To prevent abuse, punitive damages are strictly controlled and only allowed under certain egregious circumstances. However, drug cases like Actos bladder cancer lawsuits are one of the few situations wherein punitive damages are awarded.

Actos bladder cancer lawsuits typically seek to recoup costs associated with Actos bladder cancer. This can include damages like the cost of medical care, compensation for wrongful death, as well as compensation for lost wages due to medical care or disability.

The Actos MDL is In Re: Actos (Pioglitazone) Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2299, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana.

Do YOU have a legal claim? Fill out the form on this page now for a free, immediate, and confidential case evaluation. The attorneys who work with Top Class Actions will contact you if you qualify to let you know if an individual Actos lawsuit or Actos class action lawsuit is best for you. [In general, Actos bladder cancer lawsuits are filed individually by each plaintiff and are not class actions.] Hurry — statutes of limitations may apply.

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