An Arizona woman recently filed a lawsuit against Janssen, alleging that their drug Xarelto caused serious Xarelto gastrointestinal bleeding side effects.

The plaintiff, Cherie C., began taking Xarelto in May 2014 at the direction of her doctor, but ended up being hospitalized in November 2014 due to Xarelto gastrointestinal bleeding.

According to the lawsuit, Cherie’s symptoms and subsequent hospitalization came as a direct result of using Xarelto

The Xarelto gastrointestinal bleeding lawsuit was filed on multiple counts, including strict liability, manufacturing defect, design defect, failure to warn, negligence, breach of express and implied warranties, and fraud, among others.

Background of Xarelto

Xarelto (also known by its generic name, rivaroxaban) is manufactured and sold by Janssen Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson. Xarelto is one of the most popular anticoagulants, or blood thinners, currently available on the drug market.

Xarelto is generally prescribed in order to treat blood clots and conditions related to clotting.

Blood clots are, in general, very dangerous, and in some cases can be fatal. Blood clots can cause a number of serious problems, so blood thinners like Xarelto, which are used to treat these problems, have become increasingly popular.

However, despite Xarelto’s popularity, a growing number of Xarelto lawsuits like this one are being filed.

Lawsuits generally allege that Janssen knew about serious, life-threatening side effects linked with Xarelto, and yet failed to adequately warn both consumers and the medical community about these substantial risks.

While Xarelto is used to prevent often dangerous blood clots, clotting does actually have a life-saving function essential in certain circumstances, which can become a problem if a body is unable to clot blood.

In extreme situations like a serious accident or an emergency surgery, the body forms blood clots in order to slow bleeding.

Patients taking blood thinners like Xarelto, however, may be unable to form these life-saving clots in these types of situations.

Instead, Xarelto patients can wind up suffering from Xarelto gastrointestinal bleeding, which can be life-threatening or cause serious complications.

Xarelto Bleeding Side Effects

Plaintiffs involved in recent Xarelto lawsuits suffered a variety of Xarelto bleeding side effects. These include:

• Gastrointestinal bleeding (GI bleeding)
• Rectal bleeding
• Uterine bleeding
• Hemorrhaging
• Brain hemorrhaging
• Hermarthrosis (bleeding into joint spaces)
• Bloody stool
• Minor bleeding (nosebleeds, heavy menstrual flow)

Unfortunately, these serious Xarelto side effects can lead to permanent injury or even death.

Xarelto Lawsuits

Filing a Xarelto gastrointestinal bleeding lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering of someone who has suffered from extreme Xarelto side effects, and cannot bring a loved one back to life.

A Xarelto lawsuit, however, can at least help to compensate for the financial expenses often incurred by medical bills and lost wages.

If you or someone you love has experienced severe Xarelto side effects like Xarelto gastrointestinal bleeding, or even death caused by Xarelto, you may be able to file a Xarelto lawsuit.

The Xarelto Gastrointestinal Bleeding Lawsuit is Case No. 16-15911 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.