Woman Prescribed Yaz for Acne Sues for Injuries

Breann Kunkle of Pennsylvania is suing Bayer Pharmaceuticals over complications allegedly caused by their birth control pill Yaz/Yasmin.

The Yaz lawsuit alleges that Kunkle was prescribed Yaz to control her acne, but went on to suffer serious physical injuries. Kunkle says she would have never taken the pill had she been aware of the risks.

Yaz and related drugs are fourth-generation hormone-based oral contraceptives. This means that these drugs use synthetic hormones, usually based on drospirenone, to prevent pregnancy. These hormones block pregnancy by preventing the body from releasing an egg, thereby preventing conception. However, these drospirenone birth control pills have been dogged by lawsuits alleging that they carry an increased risk of serious side effects, including the risk of blood-clot related issues like stroke and pulmonary embolism. 

Kunkle’s Yaz lawsuit alleges that Bayer knew about the risks associated with their product – or reasonably should have known based on their own clinical testing, postmarket surveillance, and peer-reviewed journal articles. 

The Yaz lawsuit further alleges that despite this knowledge, Bayer continued to market and allegedly over-marketed Yasmin and Yaz, claiming they were safer and more effective than existing birth control pills. The Yaz lawsuit holds these actions to constitute fraud, negligence and violations of several consumer-protection laws. 

The case has joined existing multidistrict litigation (MDL). MDLs are a type of mass tort; that is, a lawsuit where a number of people sue the same defendant over similar injuries. MDLs are very similar to class action lawsuits on this regard. 

The main difference between an MDL and a class action lawsuit is that in a class action, the allegedly-injured parties are all represented by a single lawyer, or team of lawyers, while in an MDL, each individual plaintiff has their own legal representation. Both MDLs and class action lawsuits are designed to save the legal system – and everyone involved – money by avoiding duplication of efforts in similar lawsuits. 

The case is formally titled Breann Kunkle v. Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceutical Inc., Case No. 3:13-cv-10800-DRH-PMF. It was transferred into the Yaz/Yasmin MDL, titled In Re: Yasmin and Yaz (Drospirenone) Marketing, Sales Practices and Relevant Products Liability Investigation, MDL No. 2100, in the United States District Court, Southern District of Illinois.

Obtain a Free Yaz/Yasmin Lawsuit Review

If you or a loved one took Yaz, Yasmin, or other drospirenone birth control pill and were injured, you have legal rights. Complications like blood clots or strokes can cause life-changing disabilities and completely take over your life, consuming your time and resources. A medical crisis of this level can force you to cope with medical bills, lost wages, and a challenging recovery. 

It is perfectly normal to feel overwhelmed. But you need to remember that you have rights, and there are steps that you can take to regain control over your situation. You can start by visiting the Yaz/Yasmin, Beyaz & Ocella Birth Control Pill Class Action Lawsuit Settlement & Investigation and obtaining a free legal review of your potential case.