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. 

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.

Yaz Settlement Promised to be Requested After Bellwether Trials

More than 6,300 lawsuits are currently pending in the Yaz and Yasmin lawsuits have combined to form a multidistrict litigation before Judge Herndon. In October 2010, a Case Management Order was established in the federal MDL, scheduling three Yaz and Yasmin bellwether trials, which are representative cases that will be used to gauge how juries will respond to testimony and evidence that is likely to be introduced throughout other cases in the litigation. The first trial was scheduled to begin in September 2011, involving a Yaz pulmonary embolism lawsuit, followed by a second