The lawsuits concerning the pharmaceutical drug Xarelto picked up steam this past week as documents allowing for coordinated pretrial proceedings were approved in the U.S. District Court in Eastern Louisiana and in Pennsylvania’s Court of Common Pleas. As this blog has noted in the past, plaintiffs have asserted that the blood thinning drug causes uncontrollable bleeding, and that the bleeding caused by Xarelto cannot be reversed as with other blood thinners like Warfarin.
A court order from March 24 will now allow new plaintiffs in the Louisiana litigation to file cases directly in the proceeding. The Pennsylvania court will allow plaintiffs to submit a Master Long Form Complaint to have their cases join the others that have already been filed.
Both developments are signs that the lawsuits are moving forward and will probably continue to grow as more plaintiffs come forward. The coordination of the pretrial proceedings should make the multidistrict litigation move more quickly and efficiently by:
- Eliminating redundant discovery of evidence common to the plaintiffs
- Avoiding conflicting pretrial rulings that have to be resolved before settlement or trial
- Making proceedings more convenient and economical for respective parties and courts
Lawyers Who Specialize in Multidistrict Litigation and Defective Pharmaceuticals
Defective drug lawsuits can demand an even higher level of legal skill than other massive multidistrict litigation proceedings. The mechanism and effects of defective drugs within the body cannot be adequately explained without flawless coordination of medical records, expert witness testimony and crucial documents found during the discovery process. An attorney with the experience and proficiency to bring these tools to bear upon your case is more likely to find the just resolution your case demands.
Our personal injury attorneys know how to navigate the federal court system, as they have tried cases and been successful at the highest levels of civil litigation. Please contact us today to see how we can help with your injury from a defective drug.
Did You Know? Johnson & Johnson paid a $2.2 billion settlement in 2012 for illegally marketing the drug Risperdal and hiding risks of its use, but the drug generated $24 billion in sales for the company between 2003 and 2010.
Colson Hicks Eidson – Injury Attorneys