Yaz Settlement Sought by North Dakota Plaintiff

Donna L. Praus has become one of the latest plaintiffs to become involved in Yaz litigation after filing a Yaz lawsuit related to side effects she allegedly experienced at the hands of the medication. Praus and her Yaz lawyer are hoping to win a Yaz settlement from Bayer Pharmaceuticals, the company responsible for the manufacture and distribution of Yaz and Yasmin birth control pills, both of which have been linked to severe side effects and are involved in Yaz litigation. 

Yaz settlement could help cover costs

Plaintiffs who are looking for a Yaz settlement are hoping for a monetary settlement that will help compensate for the side effects they have suffered. Praus' complaint is asking for settlements that will help cover medical expenses, loss of income, costs for rehabilitation and home health care, pain and suffering, and permanent disability. According to the suit filed by her Yaz lawyer, she began taking Yaz and Yasmin in 2002 and in 2004 experienced an alleged Yaz deep vein thrombosis, leaving her with serious and permanent injuries.

Plaintiff's Case Joins Yaz Class Action Lawsuit

A plaintiff has agreed to allow her Yaz and Yasmin lawsuit be consolidated in the coordinated proceedings taking place in relation to the birth control drugs. The coordinated proceedings are taking place in Los Angeles County, California, and are similar to class action litigation in a number of ways but are distinct in others. Grace Santamaria filed a Yaz lawsuit, represented by a Yaz lawyer, that will now be connected to this litigation. 

Yaz Consolidated Litigation Similar to Class Action

Santamaria's lawsuit will be combined with similar lawsuits, as it would be if it were involved in a Yaz class action lawsuit, but it also retains its individuality and it will be considered separately from other lawsuits of its type based on her individual experiences and side effects that she endured. In a class action lawsuit, any damages awarded to plaintiffs involved in this type of litigation are divided among them, while in a consolidated lawsuit pretrial processes such as witness testimony and discovery are shared but the cases are still considered individually. The cases are also remanded, or returned to the courts in which they were filed, before litigation will take place unless a settlement is reached outside of court. 

Yaz Lawsuit to Include Gallbladder Disease

Many women have suffered from life changing problems from Yaz gallbladder side effects but did not know that their birth control pill may have caused gallstones and other complications. Talia K. Weiss’ Yaz lawsuit has alleged that developed gallbladder disease as a result of taking the birth control pill. Her Yaz lawsuit, filed in Seminole County in October 12, 2011, was recently transferred to the District Court for the Middle District of Florida on January 17, 2012. Weiss’ Yaz lawyers have alleged that the drugmaker, Bayer Corporation, did not label the product with a strong enough warning of its side effects. Weiss continued to take the medication until 2010 when she became aware of the severe injuries associated with her gallbladder disease.

Gallbladder disease is a dangerous Yasmin side effect reported by women using this fourth-generation birth control. Women are twice as likely as men to develop gallstones. The hormones in birth control pills may increase cholesterol levels in bile and decrease gallbladder movement, which can create gallstones which can cause serious problems if they become trapped in the bile ducts. Gallstone symptoms can be similar to many other conditions including ulcers, heart attack and irritable bowel syndrome. Not all gallstones show up on regular X-rays. Ultrasound can most often show whether gallstones are present. A HIDA scan, which uses an injection of radioactive dye, shows whether the gallbladder is blocked and inflamed and therefore the cause of pain. It can also show if the gall bladder is working properly.

Yaz and gallbladder problems are affecting women who had previously not had any problems with gallstones. Some women who suffered from frequent gallstones or inflammation recurs have had to undergo gallbladder removal surgery. Following surgery, women who were diagnosed with gallbladder disease are forced to deal with gallbladder removal side effects which include dietary changes and avoiding certain fats in foods. Weiss’ Yaz lawsuit seeks damages to compensate for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering and a shortened life span. Her Lawsuit alleges that if the Yaz side effects had been made clear, she never would have taken the drug.

Yaz Bellwether Trials Postponed

Judge David Herndon has postponed Yaz bellwether trials, set to take place earlier this month, in favor of a mediation process that will hopefully allow plaintiffs and defendants to come to a settlement agreement outside of court. The mediation will begin "without delay" and overseeing the discussion will be Professor Stephen Saltzburg of George Washington School of Law. 

Protective order granted in Yaz lawsuit

Plaintiff Kerry Sims was going to be the first Yaz plaintiff to see her case in court. The first bellwether trial was set to be Sims v. Bayer et al. Sims, not unlike many other Yaz plaintiffs, has linked her acute left-sided pulmonary embolism, which was diagnosed on the 18th of July 2008, to her Yaz use. Yaz pulmonary embolism is a condition in which a blood clot becomes lodged in one of the lungs' major arteries. It is a condition that may result from Yaz deep vein thrombosis. 

Yaz Bellwether Trials on Hold for Mediation

The preliminary bellwether trials for Yaz side effects were scheduled to begin on January 9, 2012, but they have been put on hold as thousands of Yaz side effects lawsuits have been ordered into mediation by Chief Judge David R. Herndon, who is presiding over the Yaz multidistrict litigation case. The order came down on the 31st of December, 2011, and now instead of each lawsuit going to trial they will now pursue settlements through mediation. 

The move was echoed the consolidated Pennsylvania state court side effects lawsuits, as Judge Sandra Mazer Moss ordered the parties into mediation on the 6th of January, 2012. Yaz side effects lawsuits, which deal with such serious conditions as Yaz pulmonary embolism, Yaz blood clot, and Yaz stroke, will be put on hold as the possibility of a global settlement is explored involving thousands of plaintiffs and the defendant, Bayer pharmaceuticals. 

FDA Panel Acknowledges Yaz Problems, Stops Short of Recall

The FDA evaluated the risk of Yaz blood clots from the birth control, which some studies have shown to be 2 to 3 times greater than the risk associated with other birth control pills, leading to an ever-growing number of Yaz Lawsuits. In December of last year they held a nine-hour meeting to evaluate the drug’s warning label, eventually deciding, in a 21-5 vote, that Bayer, the drug’s manufacturer, must revise the labe to more clearly explain that the birth control pill comes with an increased risk of Yaz Blood clots. The safety review was initiated based on two published studies that reported there is a greater risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) among women taking Yaz, Yasmin or other drospirenone birth control pills.

Now, the FDA is facing strong calls that it hold a new meeting to evaluate the safety of Yaz and Yasmin birth control pills, after issues involving a possible conflict of interest have been raised regarding some of its advisory committee members. It has now been discovered that at least four of the committee members had ties to Bayer prior to the committee hearing, but all four say that those ties had no effect on their final vote. Despite the potential increased risk of Yaz and Yasmin blood clots, Bayer has heavily marketed these drugs, particularly to younger women. The drugs currently account for approximately 30% of the birth control pill market, and many women could reduce the risk of blood clots by taking alternatives to Yaz and Yasmin for birth control.

A DVT or deep vein thrombosis is a type of blood clot that usually occurs in the legs or deep veins of the pelvis. While it is possible to have a DVT with minimal symptoms, they usually cause extreme pain and swelling in the affected limb. If the deep vein thrombosis dislodges, it could travel to other parts of the body and cause a pulmonary embolism, heart attack or stroke. Yasmin and Yaz DVT is considered a medical emergency which requires immediate medical treatment. Thousands of women who have suffered from Yaz pulmonary embolisms have found a Yaz lawyer to help them fight for their legal rights.

Mediation Over Trial in Yaz MDL

The mulditistrict litigation case involving Yaz birth control has been consolidated in the Southern District of Illinois and is being presided over by Judge David R. Herndon. Now, this judge has decided to go forward with mediation as opposed to a trial for the first Yaz case out of the many that are involved in the litigation. Thousands of cases are involved in the multi district litigation, filed by women who have experienced side effects associated with Yaz and Yasmin birth control medication. 

According to some reports, Yaz is the fourth most popular birth control pill in the United States, although it is one of those with the most Yaz side effects. Thousands of plaintiffs have become involved in litigation against Bayer Pharmaceuticals, holding them accountable for Yaz and Yasmin side effects. Yaz blood clots, stroke, heart attack, Yaz deep vein thrombosis, and pulmonary embolism have all been cited in Yaz birth control lawsuits.

New Yaz Lawsuit in MDL

Yaz became the top selling birth control pill in the United States, with $1.58 billion in sales in 2010 alone. Bayer issued a statement saying that while it continues to defend the litigation, the company is engaged in mediation and settlement discussion. Laura Tenorio’s Yaz Lawsuit has been removed from the Superior Court of the State of California, County of Los Angeles, to the current multidistrict litigation (MDL) taking place in where bellwether trials have been postponed in favor of mediation. The first Yaz trial was expected to begin on January 9, involving a plaintiff who suffered a pulmonary embolism after taking the birth control pill. In an order issued December 31, Judge Herndon indefinitely continued the start of that case and ordered the parties to engage in Yaz settlement negotiations.

Over 10,000 women have filed a lawsuit against Bayer alleging that they suffered injuries as a result of the drug maker’s failure to adequately warn about the side effects of Yaz, Yasmin and other drosperinone-based birth control pills made by Bayer. The FDA recently released a report that suggested drospirenone-based birth control pills may increase the risk of blood clots by 75% over older birth control pills. They also doubled the risk of heart attacks and strokes in users who were new to birth control, with some health problems appearing in less than three months after women started to take the pills. Individuals who have pre-existing kidney, liver and adrenal disease could be particularly susceptible to Yaz side effects.

Blood clots are potentially life-threatening conditions. They can break free and travel through the bloodstream and lodge in the heart and cause heart attacks, in the brain and trigger a stroke, or in the lungs which can cause apulmonary embolism. Thousands of women allege that Bayer did not adequately warn them that taking Yaz or Yasmin could be deadly. All federal Yaz and Yasmin lawsuits have been consolidated as part of an MDL, or multidistrict litigation, which is centralized before Judge Herndon in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois.

Yasmin Lawsuit Joins California Master Complaint

On December 23, 2011, Marc Hersh filed a Yasmin lawsuit alleging massive cerebral infarct and death resulting from Yaz birth control pills. With the help of a Yasmin lawyer, Hersh filed on behalf of himself, his minor son, Shane Hersh, and his decedent wife, Dayna Hersh. The case will be heard in California Superior Court in the County of Los Angeles.

Yasmin Lawsuit Joins Coordinated Litigation in California

California Superior Court is the headquarters for consolidated litigation in a statewide proceeding against Bayer. Judge Elihu M. Berle will oversee the group litigation, or master complaint, which alleges Yaz side effects including blood clots, which may lead to serious health risks including Yaz pulmonary embolism or stroke, as suffered by Dayna Hersh. In addition to Yaz blood clots and related side effects, the master complaint also accuses Bayer, the manufacturer of Yaz and Yasmin oral contraceptives, of failing to properly warn the public regarding risks from the medications.

Yasmin Lawyer Alleges Yaz Stroke

The Hersh lawsuit alleges that Dayna Hersh died from a massive cerebral infarct, or brain stroke, on January 26, 2011. Hersh is survived by her husband and son, both named as co-plaintiffs. Their lawsuit alleges that Dayna Hersh's stroke was the result of blood clots developed after taking Yasmin birth control pills. Both Yaz and Yasmin, which contain drospirenone, have been linked to blood clots that can form in a patient's eyes, legs, brain or lungs. Yaz stroke occurs when a blood clot blocks sufficient oxygen and nutrients from entering the brain. As a result of Yaz stroke, the Hersh lawsuit seeks damages from Bayer for counts of deceit by concealment, loss of consortium, negligence and wrongful death.

Yaz Blood Clots Lead to California Lawsuit

Alleging Yaz blood clots, on November 17, 2011, Allison Zelinski and her Yasmin lawyer filed suit in California's Superior Court (Los Angeles). Blood clots are one of several Yaz side effects, which include serious conditions such as Yaz deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and Yaz gallbladder disease. The plaintiff adopted the master complaint in continuing coordinated litigation against Bayer, the manufacturer of Yaz, as well as Berlix Laboratories and other defendants involved in the process of creating and distributing Yaz birth control pills.

Yasmin Lawyer Files as Coordinated Litigation

Zelinski's case joins several Yaz lawsuits against Bayer in coordinated litigation headquartered in California. The California cases are just part of the offensive; multidistrict litigation against the pharmaceutical company is currently underway in Illinois. The growing number of cases – and victims of Yaz side effects – is an indicator of the prevalence and growing impact of Yaz side effects around the country.

Zelinski Alleges Yaz Blood Clots

Through her Yasmin Lawyer, Zelinski seeks damages for injuries suffered after taking Yaz. The plaintiff alleges that she developed Yaz blood clots – an oft-cited complaint in Yaz lawsuits. Yaz is known to cause blood clots because it contains drospirenone, a synthetic hormone that mimics the body's natural progesterone.

Yaz Side Effects Varied, Dangerous

Blood clots can lead to other serious Yaz side effects, including Yaz deep vein thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolism, and stroke. DVT is characterized by blood clots located in the deep veins, generally in the thighs and lower legs. Yaz pulmonary embolism and stroke begin with blood clots or DVT. When blood clots dislodge, they can travel through the circulatory system to other parts of the body. If a blood clot reaches the lungs and obstructs a pulmonary artery, it can cause pulmonary embolism. Likewise, if a blood clot reaches the brain, stroke can occur. If not treated immediately, these conditions can be fatal.

Other side effects related to Yaz and Yasmin oral contraceptives include swelling, infections, pain, and skin ulcers. As of early 2012, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is currently researching the relationship between alleged Yaz side effects and drospirenone. Conclusions are expected later this year.

Yasmin Lawyers Await Results of FDA Study

A recent Food and Drug Administration (FDA) review, which studied 800,000 people, delves into the side effects of Yaz and Yasmin birth control pills. If the FDA finds that the products' side effects are worse than those of other oral contraceptives, pending and future Yaz lawsuits will be affected.

Newer oral contraceptives (birth control pills) use a progestin called drospirenone, which replaces levonorgestrel, the progestin most commonly found in older brands. While all birth control pills raise a patient's risk of developing yaz blood clots, the issue is whether women taking Yaz or Yasmin may run an even higher risk.

Two recent studies showed that women who took birth control pills containing drospirenone did have a higher risk of blood clots. Two additional studies published in 2009 came to a similar conclusion, stating that women who used products containing drospirenone had a higher risk of blood clots than women who took products with levonorgestrel. However, two additional post-marketing studies – required by both the FDA and European regulatory agencies – reviewed the risks and side effects of drospirenone and did not find an increased possibility of blood clots among those patients who took drugs containing drospirenone.

In May 2011 the FDA announced that it would continue review of drospirenone products, and would analyze all data from their large, self-funded study on oral contraceptives and blood clots. Although the administration's drug-safety communication originally estimated that results would be available in late summer 2011, the FDA has not released any additional information or conclusions as of September 2011.

Meanwhile, lawyers for Yaz and Yasmin have been preparing for battle. Almost 7,000 lawsuits have been filed as of September 2011, these for side effects ranging from gallbladder disease to blood clots. Pennsylvania will see the first Yaz lawsuit to go to court in federal multidistrict litigation, as well as centralized litigation. The Pennsylvania case was filed due to a yaz pulmonary embolism, a blood clot in the lungs that is a potentially deadly and very serious disease – and one of the most common side effects of oral contraceptives that contain drospirenone.

If the FDA study finds that blood clots are more common in products containing drospirenone, these 7,000 lawsuits will have additional evidence in their favor. In that case, Bayer, the company that owns the Yaz and Yazmin products, may consider settling out-of-court.

Yaz and Yasmin Have Few Differences Despite Differences

Both Yasmin and Yaz are produced by Bayer healthcare and are currently known as fourth generation birth control pills. Unfortunately, there has been a lot of discussion on the side effects produced by both the medications. While Yasmin has been found to produce side effects like Yaz gallbladder disease, blood clots in the legs etc, the side effects from Yaz have been reported to be more severe in nature. Yaz lawsuits, Yasmin lawsuits and Ocella lawsuits are being reviewed throughout the United States for women who have suffered serious and potentially life-threatening blood clots, including a deep vein thrombosis (Yaz DVT), which forms in the deep veins of the legs, pelvis or arms.

A DVT or deep vein thrombosis is a type of blood clot that usually occurs in the legs or deep veins of the pelvis.  While it is possible to have a DVT with minimal symptoms, they usually cause extreme pain and swelling in the affected limb.  If the Yaz Deep Vein Thrombosis dislodges, it could travel to other parts of the body and cause a pulmonary emolism, heart attack or stroke.According to an August 2009 study published in the British Medical Journal,

Women Seek Yaz Damages from Bayer for Misleading Advertisements

Every Yaz birth control suits involve allegations that Bayer failed to properly research their birth control pills or adequately warn about the increased risk of serious and potentially life-threatening injuries from the birth control pills containing drospirenone, such as a Yaz Stroke, heart attack, Yaz pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis or gallbladder disease.Yaz and Yasmin were both brought to market by Berlex Labs. Yaz came on the market in 2001, and Yasmin followed five years later. In 2006, Berlex was acquired by Bayer. Backed by big marketing campaigns, it wasn’t long before both drugs were racking up big sales for Bayer. Annual sales of Yaz reached $361 last year. Annual sales of Yasmin peaked in 2008 at $329 million, but have declined somewhat since then.

According to lawsuits filed against Bayer, the makers of Yaz and Yasmin knew or should have known about the risk of Yaz gallbladder disease complications associated with their birth control pill, yet failed to adequately warn about the problems.

Yasmin Gallbladder Disease Has Florida Women Suing For Damages

Alethia M. Lopez and Jessica A. Endick of Tampa, Florida added their lawsuits to the growing case against Bayer’s birthcontrol pills, Yaz and Yasmin. On October 3rd, both women filed suits seeking compensatory damages of $75,000 to pay for gallbladder removal surgery as well as punitive damages. In addition to Yaz gallbladder disease, in August of 2009, The British Medical Journal published the results of two independent studies conducted on women in Denmark and The Netherlands. Both of these studies reached the conclusion that women taking the progestin drospirenone found in Yaz and Yasmin were at a higher risk for venous Yaz blood clots.

Over 50 deaths have been reported to the FDA in women taking oral contraceptives containing drosprienone such as Yaz, Yasmin or Ocella from heart problems, heart attacks, blood clots in the heart and lungs, and Yaz Stroke.  In addition, the Agency has received hundreds of reports of non-fatal side effects from these conditions.

Plaintiffs Questioning Potential Settlement Amounts in Yaz Lawsuits

As of February 2011, Bayer faced nearly 7,000 lawsuits against their Yaz and Yasmin birth control pills and the number of new claims is continuing to grow. It is anticipated that to resolve the litigation, the pharmaceutical company will ultimately need to reach Yaz settlements and Yasmin settlements with up to 25,000 women.Currently the Yasmin and Yaz lawsuit have been centralized for pretrial proceedings in the federal court system as well as several states. In federal court, all cases filed throughout the country are being handled out of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois for coordinated management during discovery, the early bellwether trials and any preliminary attempts to negotiate settlement offers. Similar centralized management for the cases has been put in place for state court cases filed in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

All of the cases involve similar allegations that Bayer failed to adequately warn about the risk of serious and potentially life-threatening side effects of Yaz and Yasmin birth control, such as a stroke pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis or Yaz gallbladder disease. Plaintiffs’ attorneys recently asked Judge Herndon to consolidate several cases for the second and third trials,

Woman Files Northern California Yaz Lawsuit

A growing number of Yasmin lawsuits and Yaz class action lawsuit have been filed over alleged side effects of the birth control pills, which may increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, deep vein thrombosis, (DVT), pulmonary embolysm (PE), Yaz gallbladder disease, death and other serious injuries. Another lawsuit has been filed against Bayer Pharmaceuticals over Yasmin injuries. Louise Thanos says she took Yasmin, which is manufactured by Bayer Pharmaceuticals, from November 20007 to November 2009, and alleges she suffered from organ failure as a result of the pills. Thanos also alleges that, in March 2008, she suffered from gallbladder failure, according to the lawsuit filed in San Mateo County Superior Court.

Yaz and Yasmin are both made with a type of progestin called drospirenone, making them different from many other oral contraceptives. Drospirenone can elevate the body’s potassium levels, which can lead to a condition called hyperkalemia in certain patients. Hyperkalemia may result in potentially serious heart and health problems. Adverse Events reported to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) involving Yaz and Yasmin include heart arrhythmias, electrolyte imbalance, hyperkalemia, atrial fibrillation, tachycardia, myocardial infarction, stroke, blood clots, Yaz pulmonary embolism, and sudden death.The drug makers had sole access to facts concerning the potential Yaz problems, and ignored the correlation between their drug and potentially life-threatening side effects. 

Yaz Pulmonary Embolism Lawsuits on the Rise

Yaz birth control, despite the many controversies surrounding it, continues to be one of the most popular forms of hormonal birth control used across the country. Women continue to experience severe cardiovascular Yaz side effects from the drospirenone-based fourth generation birth control pill, but more and more people – especially teenagers and young women – continue to use the potentially dangerous medication on a regular basis, despite the growing number of Yaz lawsuit directed towards its drugmaker, Bayer Pharmaceuticals.

Pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis, and cor pulmonale are all conditions that can develop from blood clots, depending where they are located in the body. Yaz Deep Vein Thrombosis occurs when a blood clot forms in a vein deep in the body, usually in the leg. Blood clots here can travel through the body to block an artery to the lung and potentially cause pulmonary embolism.

Yaz Pulmonary Embolism Among First on Trial

Bellwether trials in the ongoing Yaz and Yasmin litigation cases are slowly making their way towards their first day, and among the first cases on trial will involve the deadly Yaz pulmonary embolism. A pulmonary embolism takes place when a Yaz blood clots makes its way to one of the arteries in the lung. One in three people who experience pulmonary embolism do not survive it, and as such it is one of the deadliest killers in the country. The Food and Drug Administration is expected to issue a report on Yaz pulmonary embolism as associated with Yaz and Yasmin by the end of the year.

Even young women are at risk for severe Yaz side effects, and the birth control remains a popular one for teenage girls and young adults. Although there is some risk of blood clots with any hormonal birth control medication,

Yaz Pulmonary Embolism Accusers Filing

Bayer, the manufacturer of popular fourth-generation birth control pill Yaz, are facing a slew of lawsuits that have been plaguing them for years already. Yaz lawsuit allege that Yaz has caused a number of patients serious pain, emotional trauma, and other complications that could last for the rest of their lives. Yaz has been linked to a number of serious medical conditions, some of them fatal, many of which relate in some way to blood clots forming and possibly breaking off from the vein in which they were formed. 

Yaz pulmonary embolism is one of the most serious conditions represented by Yaz lawsuits—and one of the most common. Other side effects alleged in lawsuits include heart arrhythmia, Yaz Stroke, blood clots like deep vein thrombosis, and Yaz gallbladder disease. It occurs when a blood clot forms in an extremity such as the leg, then breaks off and travels through the bloodstream to block one of the main arteries in the lung.

Yaz Stroke Hurts the Healthy

Even otherwise healthy women can find themselves experiencing blood clots, stroke, heart arrhythmia, gallbladder disease, and pulmonary embolism—especially if they take the popular fourth-generation birth control marketed as Yaz or Yasmin. Both of these medications are based around a synthetic hormone called drospirenone, which science thinks could be the culprit behind the raised risk of Yaz blood clots problems and other issues with the birth control pill. And there are some issues—Yaz users are up to six times more likely to experience problems with blood clots and other Yaz side effects than women who take other forms of hormonal birth control. This is while taking into account the fact that all hormonal birth control, whether it be in pill, patch, or ring form, comes with some heightened risk of blood clots.

Almost 6,000 cases have been filed across the country regarding serious side effects such as Yaz Stroke and pulmonary embolism. These side effects can be fatal—and have proven to be in a number of cases.