Ohio Man Files Pradaxa Lawsuit Over Internal Bleeding
By Robert J. Boumis
Charles Bevis of Ohio has filed a lawsuit against Boehringer Ingelheim, the manufacturer of Pradaxa, for allegedly causing him to suffer from life-threatening bleeding.
Pradaxa is a blood thinner medication designed to prevent blood from clotting. In certain types of medical emergencies, errant blood clotting can cause serious problems. For example, if a blood clot lodges in the brain, it causes a stroke, blocking oxygen and nutrients to brain tissue, causing permanent damage. However, since anticoagulants block the body’s ability to clot, they can lead to uncontrolled bleeding. And unlike older anticoagulants like Warfarin, Pradaxa does not have a “reversal agent,” a second drug that can counter the uncontrolled bleeding.
According to the Pradaxa lawsuit, the manufacturers were aware, or reasonably should have been aware, of the risks associated with the drug. To support this allegation, the lawsuit cites the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) postmarket surveillance organs, which received 932 reports of serious uncontrolled bleeding associated with the drug. Of these, there were over 500 life-threatening bleeding events. Eventually, regulatory agencies in the US, Japan, New Zealand, and Canada all either required the strongest possible warnings for the drug or issued warnings about the risk in irreversible, uncontrollable bleeding.
The Pradaxa lawsuit also alleges that despite the serious risks posed by this drug, the manufacturers continued to aggressively promote the drug, spending $67 million to promote the drug in 2010. During the first year of the drug’s release, the manufacturer paid $1.5 million for direct marketing visits, a form of marketing where representatives visited health care workers to promote the drug. According to the lawsuit, the drug’s marketing largely paid off. By 2011, the drug had passed the $1 billion mark in sales, a milestone that the drug manufacturer consider a massive success.
Bevis’s lawsuit alleges that the manufacturer’s negligence in promoting this potentially-lethal drug caused him to suffer from life-threatening bleeding, requiring costly emergency medical care, as well as the pain and suffering associated with the emotional trauma of the crisis. The Pradaxa lawsuit alleges that the damage Bevis suffered from his use of Pradaxa has left him with the need for continuing medical monitoring and care. The suit also asserts the Bevis nor his prescribing physicians would have used Pradaxa had they been aware of the risks associated with the drug.
The case is Charles Bevis vs. Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Incorporation, et al., Case No. 3:13-cv-51340-DRH-SCW, within the MDL In Re: Pradaxa (Dabigatran Etexilate) Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2385m filed in the United States District Court Southern District of Illinois.
If you, or someone you care about, suffered from uncontrollable bleeding after using Pradaxa, you have almost certainly found yourself in a challenging situation. Uncontrolled bleeding is a life-threatening medical emergency. Such a crisis can have enormous financial obligations, like emergency medical costs, lost wages, and the cost of continuing medical care. But regardless of the situation you’ve found yourself facing, you need to remember that you still have rights, and there are steps that you can take to regain a measure of control over your situation. You can start by visiting the Pradaxa Internal Bleeding Class Action Lawsuit Investigation. Here, you can enter your information for a free legal review by an expert with a background in this type of litigation.
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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