Xarelto and Pradaxa, two popular blood thinners, have both been targeted in a number of lawsuits over serious bleeding side effects. Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, the maker of Pradaxa recently settled litigation involving over 4,000 cases for $650 million.

Now, Xarelto lawsuit plaintiffs hope that the similarities of their cases indicate an equally successful settlement is in store for them.

Xarelto Lawsuit MDL

When Pradaxa was release onto the market it was soon followed by thousands of adverse event reports. 750 of these reports included fatalities.

Similarly, 2,800 adverse event reports have been filed over Xarelto side effects. The drug’s manufacturers, Bayer AG and Janssen Pharmaceuticals (a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson), consolidated the cases into a single MDL, or multidistrict litigation.

Since the Xarelto lawsuit consolidation, the MDL has continued to expand by hundreds of cases. Judge Eldon Fallon in the Eastern District of Louisiana is overseeing the Xarelto lawsuit multidistrict litigation.

Judge Fallon set a deadline for January 11, 2016, by which 40 bellwether cases would be gathered together. From those 40 Xarelto lawsuit bellwether cases, 4 would then be chosen for initial bellwether trials.

These Xarelto lawsuit bellwether trials are set to begin, according to Judge Fallon, in the spring of 2017.

This Xarelto lawsuit multidistrict litigation of around 2,800 cases is not the only one currently in progress. Another group of 550 Xarelto lawsuit cases have been consolidated in Philadelphia against Bayer and Janssen.

Background of Xarelto

Xarelto (rivaroxaban) is a popular medication for the treatment of blood clotting, which can be dangerous, putting patients at risk of serious complications or even death.

Xarelto is used to treat patients who suffer from atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat), pulmonary embolism (blood clotting in the lungs), or deep vein thrombosis (blood clotting deep inside the body).

Despite its popularity, Xarelto has been targeted in an increasing number of Xarelto lawsuits for serious complications such as bleeding side effects.

Xarelto Bleeding Side Effects

Most Xarelto side effects are mild and go away on their own without treatment. However, some Xarelto bleeding side effects can be dangerous or even fatal, and many patients may not be aware of this risk.

Normally, the fact that blood thinners prevent blood clotting is a very good thing, and helps keep patients. However, in emergency situations, blood clotting can become a necessary method to prevent serious bleeding issues.

While most blood thinners carry a risk of bleeding complications, which can become a major issue in case of a serious accident or emergency surgery, other drugs have an antidote to reverse their effects.

Without an antidote, Xarelto patients may be unable to form life-saving blood clots in these emergency bleeding situations.

Filing a Xarelto Lawsuit

Xarelto lawsuits allege that Janssen Pharmaceuticals either knew or should have known about the severity of the bleeding risk linked with their drug, and yet failed to adequately warn the public and the medical community about this risk.

Filing a Xarelto lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering of a patient who has suffered from serious Xarelto side effects, but it can help with financial expenses incurred by medical bills or lost wages.

If you or someone you love has suffered from serious Xarelto problems like bleeding side effects, you may be able to file a Xarelto lawsuit.