South Carolina Woman Blames Pradaxa for Husband’s Death

According to the Pradaxa lawsuit, the decedent was taking Pradaxa to decrease his chances of stroke from his non-valvular atrial fibrillation, and was prescribed the medication by his doctor. At the time, neither he nor his physician was aware of any dangerous Pradaxa side effects because they were not mentioned on the drug’s warning label. 

Soon after Jimmy Altman started taking the medication, he suffered from massive internal bleeding. Despite being rushed to the hospital, there was allegedly nothing that could be done to save him. Erma Altman filed a Pradaxa lawsuit against Boehringer, accusing the company of manufacturing, selling, distributing and marketing a dangerous drug. Boehringer is facing charges of negligence, misrepresenting a product, concealing information and false advertising.

Overview of Pradaxa Bleeding Complications

Pradaxa was approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in October 2010, to prevent stroke in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation. It is a powerful anticoagulant drug that ideally prevents other fatal attacks, such as cardiac death. It is only the second anticoagulant drug to be produced in the last 60 years, with Warfarin being its predecessor. While Pradaxa is often praised for being faster and more efficient than Warfarin, it has also come under major fire for a potential deadly side effect reportedly occurring in many patients.

The side effect that was causing so much trouble for Pradaxa was controllable internal bleeding. In November 2011, Boehringer confirmed that at least 260 fatal bleeding events occurred from patients who were taking Pradaxa. These deaths occurred worldwide between March 2008 and October 2011. One month later, the FDA started to investigate the allegations of internal bleeding injuries associated with Pradaxa. The total number of deaths related to Pradaxa is unknown at this time. 

In January 2012, Boehringer finally buckled under the pressure to update Pradaxa’s label to warn of the risk of irreversible internal bleeding. Additionally, Boehringer announced that it was working on an antidote to reverse Pradaxa’s bleeding side effect, but still remains in development. While this label change and reversal agent is helpful, it has come too little too late for many people in the United States.

Pradaxa Litigation Movement

At this time, thousands of patients across America are suing Boehringer over Pradaxa side effects. They allege that the company knew about the drug’s risks, but actively concealed them from public knowledge to protect their profits. It is expected that Pradaxa’s sales will reach $603 million this year. Erma Altman’s Pradaxa lawsuit has joined multidistrict litigation (MDL) centered in Illinois. 

The Pradaxa MDL is In Re: Pradaxa (Dabigatran) Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2385, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois. 

File a Pradaxa Lawsuit Today

If you believe that you or a loved one have been the victim of a Pradaxa internal bleeding injury, you have legal options. Please visit the Pradaxa Internal Bleeding Class Action Lawsuit Investigation. There, you can submit your claim for a free legal review and if it qualifies for legal action, a seasoned Pradaxa lawyer will contact you for a free, no-obligation consultation. You will be guided through the litigation process at no out-of-pocket expenses or hidden fees. The Pradaxa lawyers working this investigation do not get paid until you do.