Yaz Lawsuit Blames the Birth Control Pill for Woman’s Stroke

A new Yaz lawsuit is echoing concerns that surround several common birth control pills, alleging that Yaz caused a young Pennsylvania woman to develop life-threatening complications.

Plaintiff Kristen Jorgensen alleges that Yaz drug maker, Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc., over-promoted the drug and convinced her that it was safe to take. However, she alleges in her Yaz lawsuit that the birth control pill caused her to suffer from a stroke, a serious and life-threatening Yaz side effect.

According to the Yaz lawsuit, Jorgensen began taking the birth control pill in 2010, and went on suffer from a stroke, which was reportedly caused by a blood clot that blocked the critical blood vessels of the brain. A stroke is a medical emergency and can leave survivors with crippling, disabling complications.

Jorgensen’s Yaz lawsuit mirrors the hundreds of others faced by Bayer. These birth control lawsuits have alleged that Bayer knew, or reasonably should have known, that Drospirenone-based birth control pills like Yaz and Yasmin were allegedly linked to an increased risk of developing blood clots within the body, which can cause problems like strokes, pulmonary embolisms, and certain types of heart attacks.

The blood clot injury lawsuits have alleged that legally-mandated postmarket surveillance and research studies have suggested a link between these drugs and risk of medical emergencies like life-threatening blood clot injuries. Lethal strokes have been reported in women as young as 17 years old.

Jorgen’s Yaz lawsuit — and others against Bayer — have also alleged that Bayer over-promoted the drug. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has alleged that Bayer exaggerated the benefits of the drug. FDA letters have centered on concerns that Bayer promoted Yaz and Yasmin as being able to help clear up acne, and mitigate symptoms associated with premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PDD). However, Yaz and Yasmin are not approved or tested by FDA standards for these disorders. This led to warning letters from the FDA in 2003 and 2008 to Bayer over Yaz and Yasmin marketing practices.

The litigation against Bayer has taken the form of a multidistrict litigation (MDL) or mass tort. An MDL is a type of group lawsuit, similar in some ways to class action lawsuits. In both class action lawsuits and MDLs, a group of people allege that they have suffered similar harms at the hands of the same defendant. The main difference is that class action lawsuits start out as group lawsuits, while MDLs start as individual lawsuits, which are later combined into a single coordinated legal preceding.  MDLs are more common in drug lawsuits, since individuals filing drug lawsuits often have injuries that vary.

The Yaz lawsuit is Kristen Jorgensen v. Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc., et al, filed within the MDL In re: Yasmin and Yaz (Drospirenone) Marketing, Sales Practices and Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2100, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois.

Join a Free Yaz Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you or someone you know suffered a birth control blood clot injury such as a stroke, heart attack, deep vein thrombosis, or pulmonary embolism, you have legal options. See if you qualify for compensation by submitting your information for a free and confidential case evaluation:

Oops! We could not locate your form.