A new Xarelto lawsuit has been filed collectively by a group of 17 individuals who claim the blood thinner drug caused them or a loved one to suffer or die from serious internal bleeding.

One of the named Xarelto lawsuit plaintiffs, James B. of Tennessee, says he ingested the oral anticoagulant medication from approximately November 2013 to January 2015 and suffered severe anemia, gastrointestinal bleeding and hematuria, just days after first taking Xarelto on November 21, 2013 and again on January 17, 2015.

According to James’ Xarelto lawsuit, the defendants neglected to properly warn consumers regarding potentially dangerous side effects which he now associates with their anticoagulant drug.

He, along with the other named plaintiffs are seeking compensatory, economic, and exemplary damages as a result of the drug makers’ alleged willful, fraudulent, and reckless acts in aggressively promoting Xarelto despite knowledge of the drug’s risks.

Facts About Xarelto

Xarelto, manufactured by Bayer Pharmaceuticals and marketed by Janssen Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, is a widely prescribed blood thinning medication that can cause serious and irreversible internal bleeding. Xarelto has been linked to numerous deaths since it was approved in 2011.

It is part of a class of drugs called New Oral Anticoagulants, which also include Pradaxa and Eliquis.  Xarelto and other drugs in its class are marketed as the next generation of blood-thinning drugs to replace warfarin which has been the established treatment for preventing stroke and systematic embolism for the past 60 years.

Xarelto is designed to reduce the risk of deep vein thrombosis, strokes, blood clots and pulmonary embolism in patients who have undergone knee or hip replacement surgery.

Similar to other blood thinners, Xarelto carries serious side effects, but a major risk patients encounter from the medication is severe internal bleeding.

To date, Xarelto is considered one of the most dangerous medications in the pharmaceutical market.  In addition, there is no anticoagulant to reverse or control the internal bleeding caused by Xarelto.

Xarelto Bleeding and Side Effects

The most severe side effect from Xarelto is uncontrollable internal bleeding, due to the fact that Xarelto has no antidote. This means that if a GI bleed occurs in a person taking Xarelto it can be difficult or impossible to stop.

Medical professionals must wait for the drug to leave the bloodstream before attempting to stop the bleeding, which may be too late for many patients.

Symptoms of Gastrointestinal Bleeds

Gastrointestinal bleeding, or GI bleeds, can be severe and life threatening. Some of the signs and symptoms of a Xarelto GI bleed include:

• Blood in vomit
• Vomit that resembles coffee grounds
• Black or tarry stool
• Dark blood in stool

Filing a Xarelto Lawsuit

Recently, the dangers associated with Xarelto have led to numerous lawsuits against Bayer and Janssen from patients who have suffered these severe injuries. According to the lawsuits, the manufacturers failed to appropriately warn customers about the risks associated with taking Xarelto.

Individuals who were taking Xarelto and were hospitalized due to a severe GI bleed or other internal bleeding side effects may be eligible for a lawsuit against the manufacturers of Xarelto.

Additionally, those who lost a loved one as a result of Xarelto bleeding may be able to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the drug company.

The Xarelto Lawsuit is part of the Xarelto MDL In re: Xarelto (Rivaroxaban) Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2592, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.