Arizona Woman Files Yaz Pulmonary Embolism Lawsuit

Another Yaz pulmonary embolism lawsuit has been filed against the makers of the oral birth control medications Yaz and Yasmin. The lawsuit was filed on March 26, 2013 in the multidistrict litigation (MDL) underway in U.S District Court, Southern District of Illinois (East St. Louis) under Chief Judge David R. Herndon.

The plaintiff in this case is a resident of Arizona. She began using Yaz/Yasmin in 2008 and continued using the medication through 2009. The plaintiff sought a Yaz injury lawyer after suffering from injuries she believes are tied to her use of the birth control. She alleges that she developed blood clots and pulmonary embolism and, as a result, has required a number of surgeries and other medical procedures. She remains on blood thinner drugs and is expected to continue to take these medications into the foreseeable future.

Yaz pulmonary embolism lawsuit alleges serious health risks

The Yaz pulmonary embolism lawsuit alleges that Bayer Healthcare and its subsidiaries introduced Yaz and Yasmin to the market, neglecting to advise of the drugs’ health risks, and that the defendants concealed their knowledge of Yaz and Yasmin side effects. The lawsuit also alleges that the defendants negligently and/or fraudulently represented the oral contraceptives to the medical community, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the plaintiffs, and the public.

The Yaz injury lawyer representing the plaintiff in this case names the following defendants: Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Bayer Schering Pharma Ag; Bayer Corporation; Bayer Healthcare Llc; Bayer Healthcare Ag; and Bayer Ag. Bayer asserts that Yaz and Yasmin were tested and found to be safe and effective for its indicated use.

The plaintiff seeks compensatory, exemplary, and statutory damages, along with fees and costs. The lawsuit cites causes of action such as product liability, negligence, and severe and permanent personal injuries, pain, suffering, and emotional distress. The litigation involves the combination oral contraceptive pill Yasmin, Yaz, and/or Ocella, which are all generically known as drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol.

Bayer accused of negligence, over-stating benefits, minimizing risks

Allegations in the Yaz pulmonary embolism lawsuit include that the defendants were negligent in failing to adhere to and take into consideration warnings from the FDA, which determined that Bayer was misleading the public in general, and the medical community in particular, through its use of advertisements which overstated the drugs’ efficacy while minimizing the drugs’ serious risks.

Ocella, Yaz, and Yasmin lawsuits brought against Bayer over typically cite injuries that include adverse cardiovascular events, including stroke, transient ischemic attack, blood clots, pulmonary embolisms, and sudden death. Lawsuits also allege that plaintiffs have suffered from physical pain and mental anguish, including a diminished enjoyment of life; the possibility of future high-risk pregnancies; the inability to use any form of prescription contraception for the duration of their lives; and the need for lifelong medical treatment, monitoring, and/or medications.

Other Yaz, Yasmin side effects

Although Bayer aggressively touted the drugs as being as safe as other approved birth control pills, increasing research and mounting injury reports point to serious adverse reactions.

Other known Yaz and Yasmin adverse reactions that are considered serious and potentially deadly include:

• Hypertension
• Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
• Retinal vein thrombosis
• Gallbladder disease
• Liver disease
• Immune hypersensitivity, including anaphylactic reaction or lupus erythematosus
• Hyperkalemia (dangerously high potassium levels)
• Hypertriglyceridemia and changes in glucose tolerance
• Skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Cervical cancer, cervical dysplasia
• Irregular uterine bleeding

In 2001, the FDA approved the sale of Yasmin and, in 2006, the agency approved Yaz. Both drugs are oral contraceptives made with drospirenone, a fourth-generation progestin tied to an increased risk of blood clots. Ocella is the recently approved generic version of these drugs. These increased risks are the focus of this Yaz pulmonary embolism lawsuit as well as other, similar litigations.