Janssen, a subsidiary of pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson, was just hit with yet another Xarelto gastrointestinal bleed lawsuit.

The seventy-year-old Ohio plaintiff, Dorothy L., began taking Xarelto at the direction of her doctor in January 2016 in order to prevent atrial fibrillation, the Xarelto gastrointestinal bleed lawsuit alleges.

Dorothy continued taking Xarelto through June 13, 2016, when she was abruptly forced to stop because of a severe gastrointestinal bleed. The bleeding continued through June 15, 2016. As one might expect, Dorothy’s gastrointestinal bleed was painful and life-threatening, and she claims she has been left with permanent injuries.

According to the Xarelto gastrointestinal bleed lawsuit, Dorothy has not only been left with permanent side effects, but also faces a shortened life expectancy as well as medical expenses and hospitalization due to these complications.

This Xarelto gastrointestinal bleed lawsuit was filed on multiple counts, including defective design, manufacturing defect, failure to warn, breach of express and implied warranties, negligence, consumer fraud and others.

Xarelto Background

Xarelto (also known by its generic name, rivaroxaban) is a popular blood thinner manufactured by Janssen Pharmaceuticals, a prominent subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson. Xarelto was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on July 1, 2011 to treat deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, and was later approved to reduce the risk of stroke and systemic embolism.

Blood thinners are used to prevent blood clotting, which can lead to extremely serious conditions that, in some cases, can end up being fatal. In general, blood clots are dangerous, and must be prevented, but in some instances, this clotting can actually perform a life-saving function.

In extreme internal bleeding situations, the body uses blood clotting to slow the bleeding, which can prevent a person from losing too much blood. However, a person taking a blood thinner like Xarelto is in much more danger.

Unable to form these life-saving blood clots, the body has no other way of slowing the bleeding, increasing the risk of permanent injury or even death.

This Xarelto gastrointestinal bleed lawsuit and others like it allege that Janssen had knowledge of the bleeding complications linked with its drug for years, yet failed to warn either the patients or the medical community about these risks, placing countless patients in danger for the sake of profit.

Filing a Xarelto Gastrointestinal Bleed Lawsuit

If you or someone you love has experienced severe or even fatal Xarelto side effects, you may be able to file a Xarelto gastrointestinal bleed lawsuit like Dorothy’s.

Of course, filing a Xarelto gastrointestinal bleed lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering of someone who has suffered from Xarelto side effects, and cannot bring a loved one back to life. However, a Xarelto gastrointestinal bleed lawsuit can at least help to compensate for the financial expenses often incurred by medical bills and lost wages.

The Xarelto Gastrointestinal Bleed Lawsuit is Case No. 2:17-cv-05984-EEF-MBN, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.