Pradaxa Plaintiffs Must Prove Link to Side Effects

Pradaxa is a blood thinning medication that has only been on the United States’ pharmaceuticals market for about two years, but already a number of plaintiffs claim to have been injured by serious side effects of the medication. Internal bleeding is one of the major concerns that patients have with the medication, as a number of reports of the side effect have surfaced recently in medical literature and patient reports. A number of deaths have even been linked to the medication and the drug manufacturer, Boehringer Ingelheim, is now the target of several lawsuits dealing with the medication. Plaintiffs in these lawsuits are seeking Pradaxa settlements that would help cover costs associated with the side effects they or their loved ones suffered as a result of their use of the medication.

Drug marketed as stroke prevention

The medication has been aggressively marketed as a way to reduce the risk of stroke in patients who suffer from atrial fibrillaton, which is a relatively common irregularity in the rhythm of the heart. Since the condition affects millions of patients worldwide, thousands of people may be at risk for injury related to Pradaxa and even Pradaxa deaths. Other anticoagulant medications do come with a risk of internal bledding, but unlike those, there is no antidote for the internal bleeding and hemorrhaging caused by Pradaxa. This can lead to fatality and there have already been almost 300 deaths that have been linked to patients’ use of the medication, many of which have led to the filing of wrongful death lawsuits. It is expected that the number of lawsuits against Pradaxa’s drugmaker is likely to increase in the coming months.

Pradaxa lawsuits will be considered personal injury lawsuits, in which the plaintiff will seek damages from the defendant in order to compensate for an injury or death that the defendant is indirectly responsible for. These lawsuits are likely to either be settled by the offering of a settlement or by a jury trial, and plaintiffs must prove that their injuries or the injuries of their loved ones not only caused significant harm but also that the injuries could be linked to the patient’s use of Pradaxa.

Settlements rely on liability

For damages to be paid out in a lawsuit liability of the company must be established. Patients are currently trying to prove that their side effects can conclusively be linked tot heir use of Pradaxa.