What is Pradaxa?
Pradaxa is a prescription blood-thinning medication used to reduce the risk of blood clots and stroke in people with atrial fibrillation (AFib).
AFib is an irregular heartbeat that occurs when the two upper chambers of the heart – the atria – beat erratically and out of sync with the two lower chambers of the heart – the ventricles. When this happens, the heart does not pump blood as it should. AFib can cause blood to pool in the atria. The pooling may lead to a blood clot, and when that clot breaks free of the heart and travels to the brain, it can block an artery and cause a stroke.
Pradaxa is an anticoagulant that thins the blood to decrease the likelihood that an AFib patient will develop blood clots. All anticoagulants inhibit the body’s ability to form clots and therefore carry with them the inherent risk of serious and sometimes fatal bleeds. However, Tennessee Pradaxa lawsuits point out that with other anticoagulants, a doctor may administer Vitamin K or another anti-clotting treatment in order to stop excessive bleeding. These treatments do not work with Pradaxa. It has no antidote; thus, there is no way to reverse Pradaxa’s blood-thinning effect when severe bleeds occur. Tennessee Pradaxa lawsuits like others nationwide allege that Pradaxa puts patients at increased risk for serious and irreversible bleeds. The only option to stop the bleeds for Pradaxa patients is emergency dialysis, which is not a practical option for someone facing a life-threatening situation.
Why are there Tennessee Pradaxa Lawsuits?
According to the Tennessee Pradaxa lawsuits, the most common harmful effects of Pradaxa use are severe bleeding, including gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding and cerebral hemorrhaging. One of the first lawsuits filed against Pradaxa was by the daughter of a woman in Tennessee who died after using Pradaxa. The woman began using Pradaxa to treat her AFib. After three months, she suffered a massive GI bleed. The Tennessee Pradaxa lawsuits claim that the manufacturer did not adequately warn the medical community of the risk of internal bleeding nor did it provide guidance on how to treat the bleeds when they develop.
The Tennessee Pradaxa lawsuits are not the only ones that have been filed against this medication. More than a hundred Pradaxa lawsuits have been filed nationwide by patients and their loved ones seeking compensation for medical treatment and other losses. The Tennessee Pradaxa lawsuits are not class action lawsuits. The Tennessee Pradaxa lawsuits and others are classified as multidistrict litigation (MDL). With MDLs, cases from around the country are transferred to a single court for certain proceedings like discovery. MDLs are often selected for lawsuits regarding dangerous drugs because these complex cases can be better managed if certain common phases are handled by a single court. MDLs save time, money, and resources while ensuring consistent results across jurisdictional lines.
In order to be classified as an MDL, the cases must share at least one common issue of fact. In August 2012, a panel of federal judges ruled that the Tennessee Pradaxa lawsuits could be consolidated with others because they share the following allegations:
-Pradaxa caused severe bleeds.
-Doctors, surgeons and other medical professionals were not properly warned about Pradaxa’s lack of an antidote and were therefore left without an effective means to stabilize Pradaxa patients with uncontrollable or excessive bleeding.
Last year, reports of 542 deaths attributed to Pradaxa were submitted to the FDA. The Tennessee Pradaxa lawsuits and others are still ongoing. If you or a loved one have experienced severe bleeding that you believe may be related to use of the drug Pradaxa, please contact Attorney Group for Tennessee today.