Patients who are considering filing a Pradaxa bleeding lawsuit may find themselves litigating in state court, now that a federal multidistrict litigation has been wrapped up.

In recent news, the federal judge overseeing the Pradaxa multidistrict litigation, or MDL, recommended it to be dissolved. U.S. District Judge David Herndon had recommended this move in December 2017. Patients who since then have suffered uncontrollable internal bleeding complications can still talk to an attorney about filing a Pradaxa bleeding lawsuit.

Many patients who have already filed a Pradaxa bleeding lawsuit allege Boehringer Ingelheim either knew or should have known about the potential drug complications including the risk of uncontrollable gastrointestinal bleeding.

When the Pradaxa MDL was first established, thousands of similar product liability claims were consolidated into a single litigation movement and had initially been successful.

Previously in 2014, the overseeing judges of the MDL had approved a $650 million settlement between Boehringer Ingelheim and the plaintiffs. In addition to the claimants being compensated for their injuries, a portion of the settlement fund was also used to cover their attorney’s fees and other costs.

However in late 2017, Judge Herndon had recommended the MDL be dissolved after dismissing several remaining Pradaxa lawsuits from the docket. A little before this announcement, the District Court of Southern District of Illinois had disbanded the Plaintiff’s Steering Committee after nearly the entire settlement fund had been distributed according to the terms of the settlement.

The Pradaxa settlement was meant to settle 4,000 product liability claims in the MDL, with Judge Herndon stating he will continue to supervise the litigation process including distribution of the remaining settlement fund. Recently a new litigation movement was started by a group of Pradaxa patients, who did not participate in the settlement.

Overview of Pradaxa Bleeding Allegations

Pradaxa is a new generation anticoagulant that was approved by the FDA in 2010, and was the first medication to be released for blood thinning treatment purposes since warfarin in the 1960s.

In contrast to warfarin, Pradaxa could be prescribed in a single dose and do not need to frequently see their physicians for prescription instructions. However, at the time it was first approved, Pradaxa also lacked an approved reversal agent, which meant that patients had to be hospitalized in cases of serious internal bleeding.

Pradaxa and other anticoagulants work by inhibiting the body’s clotting ability, which prevents blood clot formation. However this treatment mechanism also inhibits the body’s ability to recover from internal bleeding events, which can become potentially fatal for patients.

While Boehringer Ingelheim recently released a new reversal agent in 2015, patients are still at risk for potentially fatal internal bleeding complications.

Pradaxa patients who suffered internal bleeding complications may be able to file a Pradaxa bleeding lawsuit, and can seek various product liability damages depending on the nature of their injuries. A consultation with a knowledgeable pharmaceutical products liability attorney can provide the information they need to make the right decision.