A Xarelto  lawsuit was filed against Bayer Pharmaceutical and Johnson & Johnson by a Vermont woman who alleges the blood thinning medication cause her father’s death.

Thomas C. Dunkley was prescribed Xarelto on July 17, 2012, to reduce his risk of experiencing strokes, developing embolisms, and as a treatment  for atrial fibrillation, according to the Xarelto lawsuit filed by plaintiff Ruth E. McGowan.

Dunkley continued to use Xarelto until July 26, 2012, when he allegedly experienced a  hemorrhage and, according to the wrongful death lawsuit, “suffered a life-threatening, irreversible bleed from the use of Xarelto, as well as severe pain and suffering, all of which (resulted) in his premature death on August 1, 2012.”

As a result, McGowan is suing Xarelto’s manufacturers on behalf of her father and herself for medical expenses, funeral expenses, attorney’s fees, and economic and non-economic damages stemming from Dunkley’s injuries and eventual death.

McGowan and her legal counsel accused the companies of negligence, strict product liability, breach of express and implied warranty, fraudulent misrepresentation, fraudulent concealment, negligent misrepresentation, fraud, violation of consumer protection laws, and wrongful death.

An increasing number of Xarelto lawsuits are being filed as more consumers become aware of the possible side effects of taking this anticoagulant drug.

What is Xarelto?

Xarelto is one of several medications described as “direct thrombin inhibitor[s].” This new generation of anticoagulant drugs are prescribed by physicians to reduce patients’ risk of developing strokes and blood clots. Xarelto has been grouped in the same class of drugs as another anticoagulant prescription drug Pradaxa, whose manufacturer is facing 4,000 lawsuits concerning allegations of bleeding complications. Recently, a settlement was reached in a Pradaxa lawsuit for about $650 million.

The anticoagulant was introduced into the American drug market in 2011 and was developed as a joint venture by Bayer Pharmaceutical and Janssen Pharmaceutical, a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary. Many patients suffering from atrial fibrillation after undergoing a hip and knee replacement surgery were prescribed Xarelto as a blood thinning medication to prevent them from experiencing further trauma from stroke and blood clots.

J&J and Bayer allegedly launched a marketing campaign for Xarelto claiming it to be a superior blood thinner alternative to the standard blood thinner Coumadin (also known as Warfarin), which is regularly prescribed for anticoagulant therapy. Over the past few months, there have been a number of medical and consumer reports describing the allegedly dangerous, and often fatal, side effects of Xarelto.

Xarelto Side Effects include:

• Deep vein thrombosis
• Pulmonary embolism
• Abdominal bleeding
• Gastrointestinal bleeding
• Brain hemorrhaging
• Abnormal liver function
• Reduced platelet levels
• Dizziness
• Hemorrhaging in the eyes
• Low blood pressure
• Nose bleeds
• Rectal bleeding
• Headache
• Muscle pain
• Rapid heartbeat
• Bruising
• Edema