Daughter Files Lawsuit Over Mother’s Pradaxa-Related Death
By John Curran
Yet another Pradaxa lawsuit plaintiff’s claim is casting doubts on the statements from the federal Food and Drug Administration that Pradaxa is just as safe as other blood thinners on the market. Plaintiff Lisa Mulhall says that her mother, Louise Newcomer, would not have died if she had been on another medication.
The last few days of Newcomer’s life could not have been comfortable. Just over a month after she began taking the medication for her atrial fibrillation, her Pradaxa lawsuit attorney says that there was bleeding throughout her abdominal cavity and she began coughing up blood. Since the drug carries no antidote for bleeding, doctors struggled to treat her and she died two weeks after symptoms developed.
Even though Pradaxa lacks an antidote to reverse internal hemorrhaging, its manufacturer markets Pradaxa as a safe alternative to older blood thinners like like Coumadin (warfarin). The FDA has jumped on board, noting in a recent safety report that patients were less likely to face Pradaxa gastrointestinal bleeding problems related to warfarin.
However, the fatality rate associated with Pradaxa bleeding is substantially different. Hundreds of Pradaxa users have died as a result of irreversible bleeding, and while the factor varies depending on the quarter, the popularity of the brand-name drug means that 5 to 10 times more deaths are reported because of Pradaxa bleeding side effects and related issues. Mulhall’s mother, unfortunately, was just one of many.
The main reason that doctors prescribe Pradaxa instead of generic options is that it is less likely to interact with other medications and has fewer side effects. However, the most dangerous ones are not likely to be treatable with any great success for another year or two. Pradaxa lawsuit attorneys note that a French company is working on an antidote to Pradaxa bleeding, but it has not even reached the second state of medical trials.
Until then, victims of Pradaxa side effects have little recourse outside of legal remedies. To learn more about them, visit the Pradaxa Internal Bleeding Class Action Lawsuit Investigation. A free consultation with an experienced Pradaxa lawsuit attorney is also available when one fills out the short form there.
Cases are beginning to mount against manufacturer Boehringer Ingelheim as a result of Pradaxa side effects, so victims or their families should review their options and see whether or not they are eligible to file a claim against the manufacturer. It is the first step in obtaining a jury award or settlement based on the facts of their case as well as any potential suffering.
Updated April 15th, 2013
All medical device, dangerous drug and medical class action and lawsuit news updates are listed in the Drug and Medical Device section of Top Class Actions.
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