Pretrial Proceedings Under Way in YAZ, YASMIN Federal Lawsuits
By Jim Greene
Published on January 01, 2010
Pretrial proceedings have begun in the consolidated federal court personal injury and wrongful death suits against Bayer Health Care Pharmaceuticals over its YAZ® and YASMIN® oral contraceptives. Cases were consolidated to the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, by order of the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation.
Consolidation to the East St. Louis, Ill., federal courthouse was ordered because of the similarity among the cases. The move reduces duplication of efforts on the part of both prosecution and defense teams and eliminates conflicting pretrial rulings that can occur when similar cases are begin heard in different jurisdictions.
Plaintiffs Claim Damages from Blood Clots
Plaintiffs are suing Bayer for damages, including serious injury and death, from blood clots alleged caused by using YAZ® and YASMIN®. Claimed damages include stroke and heart attack.
In the first two meetings with Chief Judge David R. Herndon, the opposing legal teams were formally introduced and scheduling of pretrial procedures began. Judge Herndon also introduced for discussion the possibility of bellwether trials, another method used to streamline legal proceedings.
In bellwether trials, a few representative cases are selected as a first round, as a means of setting precedents for subsequent trials and possibly encouraging out-of-court settlements once both sides get a sense of how juries may find in future trials.
The next pretrial session is set for January 21.
Other Dangers Included in Warnings
In addition to blood clots, Bayer's product warnings, ordered by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, include the possibility of kidney, liver, and adrenal complications due to excess potassium intake.
If you or someone you know took Bayer's YAZ® or YASMIN® oral contraceptives and subsequently suffered blood clots, stroke, heart attack, or any other related medical problem, you need to get in touch with an experienced person injury attorney without delay. You may be eligible for financial compensation for your medical bills, loss of work, and pain and suffering. Legal actions have begun, so don't delay.
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