Four Women File Birth Control Lawsuit Over Yaz/Yasmin Side Effects

The number of women coming forward to claim that Yaz and Yasmin caused dangerous blood clots is alarming. Recently, four more women have joined the growing number of Yaz lawsuits that continue to be filed, all alleging that they suffered severe birth control side effects which they were never warned about.

Plaintiffs Noel Chiarelli, Amy Wilwhite, Jessica Dixon and Elizabeth Ostrander filed the joint Yasmin/Yaz lawsuit on Nov. 6, 2013, joining other women who found out the hard way just how dangerous the birth control pill can be. Their stories are unique, but still eerily similar.

“Noel Chiarelli was prescribed and purchased and ingested the prescription medication known as Yaz and/or Yasmin (herein after Yaz/Yasmin), and suffered an injury, specifically but not limited to pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis, as a proximate and direct result of using Yaz/Yasmin,” the lawsuit states. Pulmonary embolisms can be fatal, but Chiarelli luckily survived.

Similarly, “Amy Wilwhite was prescribed and purchased and ingested the prescription medication known is Yaz and/or Yasmin (herein after Yaz/Yasmin), and suffered an injury, specifically but not limited to pulmonary embolism, as a proximate and direct result of using Yaz/Yasmin.” Wilwhite also survived her Yaz blood clot complication.

However, there are even bigger risks facing women.

According to the Yaz lawsuit, “Jessica Dixon was prescribed and purchased and ingested the prescription medication known as Yaz and/or Yasmin (herein after Yaz/Yasmin), and suffered an injury, specifically but not limited to a stroke, as a proximate and direct result of using Yaz/Yasmin.” A stroke can permanently disable a person and/or cause lifelong complications.

Finally, “Elizabeth Ostrander was prescribed and purchased and ingested the prescription medication known as Yaz and/or Yasmin (herein after Yaz/Yasmin), and suffered an injury, specifically but not limited to deep vein thrombosis, as a proximate and direct result of using Yaz/Yasmin,” the Yasmin lawsuit states.

According to the women’s Yasmin complaint, Bayer knew about the Yasmin complications for years.

“In April 2002, the British Medical Journal reported that the Dutch College of General Practitioners recommended that older second generation birth control pills be prescribed in lieu of Yasmin as a result of 40 cases of venous thrombosis among women taking Yasmin.”

However, that wasn’t allegedly enough for Bayer to update the warning labels on Yasmin.

“In February 2003, a paper entitled Thromboembolism Associated With the New Contraceptive Yasmin was published in the British Medical Journal detailing a Netherlands Pharmacovigilance Centre report of five additional reports of thromboembolsim where Yasmin was suspected as the cause, including two deaths,” the Yaz lawsuit states. Bayer still did not act.

“Two recent studies, released in August 2009, have found significantly increased risks of harm associated with Yaz/Yasmin over other types of birth control pills. The first study assessed the risk of developing venous thrombosis in women who use oral contraception. The women ranged in age from 15 to 49 and had no history of heart disease or any malignant condition. The study found that of the 3.3 million women taking oral contraceptives, there were 4,213 venous thrombotic events. Of this total, 2045 occurred in women using drospirenone oral contraceptives,” the lawsuit states.

A History of Hiding

These four women are just a small sampling of the many who experienced Yasmin side effects. There are many options for contraception on the market, and the women claim that they would have opted for something safer if they’d known the true risks.

“Yaz/Yasmin created a higher risk of severe physical and personal injuries than other oral contraceptives on the market, including but not limited to second generation oral contraceptives, and that, when taken as directed, such use was an unreasonable danger to consumers,” the Yaz/Yasmin lawsuit states.

“Despite the fact that Defendants knew or should have known of the serious health risks associated with the use of Yaz/Yasmin, Defendants failed to warn Plaintiffs and/or her health care provider of said serious risks before they used the product.”

The women are suing for defective manufacturing, design defect, defective and/or inadequate warning, negligence, negligent misrepresentation and/or fraud, breach of warranties, violation of the deceptive trade practices act, unjust enrichment and punitive damages.

The Yaz lawsuit is Noel Chiarelli, et al v. Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc., et al., MDL No. 2100, in the United States District Court Southern District of Illinois.

Help for Birth Control Blood Clot Victims

Did you or a loved one suffer a blood clot injury after taking the birth control pills Yaz, Yasmin, Beyaz, Gianvi or Ocella? You may qualify to join a free class action lawsuit investigation or file your own individual legal claim. Find out more and obtain a free case review at the Yaz/Yasmin, Ocella & Beyaz Birth Control Class Action Lawsuit Settlement Investigation.