A woman has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Xarelto’s manufacturers Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Johnson & Johnson and Bayer Healthcare, claiming a Xarelto lower gastrointestinal bleeding injury cause the death of her husband.

Plaintiff Sharon M. filed her lawsuit as part of the multidistrict litigation underway over Xarelto. Her lawsuit joins more than 6,400 others that have been filed against the drug’s manufacturers.

Sharon’s late husband Donald M. used Xarelto (rivaroxaban), a blood thinner used to reduce the risk of stroke and systemic embolism do to atrial fibrillation, to treat deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) and to prevent DVT and PE in those undergoing hip and knee replacement surgery.

According to the Xarelto lower gastrointestinal bleeding injury lawsuit, Donald used Xarelto from May 2015 to September 2015 to treat his atrial fibrillation.

On September 29, 2015, Donald experienced a Xarelto lower gastrointestinal bleeding injury that caused him severe pain and suffering and ultimately led to his death, according to the lawsuit.

“As a direct and proximate result of the use of Defendants’ Xarelto, [Donald] suffered serious and dangerous side effects including, life-threatening bleeding, as well as other severe and personal injuries which are permanent and lasting in nature, physical pain and mental anguish, including, but not limited to, diminished enjoyment of life, expenses for hospitalization and medical treatment, and loss of earnings,” the lawsuit states.

As with any blood thinner medication, Xarelto carries a risk of internal bleeding. However, unlike its older counterpart warfarin, the most commonly used blood thinner for the last six decades prior to Xarelto’s release, there is no way for emergency personnel to intervene to quickly stop the bleeding.

With warfarin, fresh frozen plasma and intravenous vitamin K were used as an antidote to stop the bleeding and to restore the body’s natural clotting capabilities, thereby stopping any internal bleeding. Xarelto has no such reversal agent in the event of a bleeding emergency.

For this reason, patients taking Xarelto may experience a number of bleeding injuries including a Xarelto lower gastrointestinal bleeding injury, Xarelto bleeding on the brain or other types of internal bleeding.

Sharon has brought forth a number of counts against the manufacturers including but not limited to: negligence, strict products liability, breaches of express and implied warranties, fraudulent misrepresentation, fraudulent concealment, negligent misrepresentation, fraud and deceit, violation of consumer protection laws and wrongful death.

Sharon is seeking compensatory damages for pain, suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life and other noneconomic damages. She is also seeking economic damages for medical expenses, out of pocket expenses, lost earnings and other economic damages.

The plaintiff is also seeking punitive and/or exemplary damages “for the wanton, willful, fraudulent, reckless acts of the Defendants who demonstrated a complete disregard and reckless indifference for the safety and welfare of the general public and to the Plaintiff in an amount sufficient to punish Defendants and deter future similar conduct.”

Filing a Xarelto Lower Gastrointestinal Bleeding Lawsuit

If you or a loved one has taken Xarelto and has subsequently suffered from a Xarelto lower gastrointestinal bleeding injury, you may be eligible to take legal action. A Xarelto attorney can provide you with a free case review to discuss your legal options.

The Xarelto Lower Gastrointestinal Bleeding Injury Lawsuit is Case No. 2:16-cv-13554, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.