The judge overseeing the Xarelto multidistrict litigation has instructed the parties to choose between 40 – 60 individual cases for discovery. It’s possible that some or all of these cases could advance through the trial process. If so, these cases would be known as bellwether trials. As of now, hundreds of individual Xarelto lawsuits have been consolidated into this multidistrict litigation. Choosing a relatively small number of claims to complete these phases is a common step in MDLs. Bayer and Janssen Pharmaceuticals, which is owned by Johnson & Johnson, have been named as the defendants in these lawsuits.
What Is an MDL?
An MDL is, as stated above, a multidistrict litigation. These take place on the federal level and they are formed when a large number of individual plaintiffs make similar claims against similar defendants. The purpose of MDLs is to allow for a larger number of plaintiffs to have their day in court sooner and for the defendants to be able to complete individual lawsuits without having to go through the discovery and trial processes repeatedly. A federal judicial panel decides whether or not a matter should be consolidated into an MDL.
What Are Bellwether Trials?
One step in an MDL is to try to determine how the cases will go in court. As such, bellwether trials are chosen that basically serve as ‘test’ cases in a lot of ways. A few individual claims are picked by the parties and they are put through the discovery phase and sometimes the individual trials. That is exactly what is happening with this Xarelto MDL. This process often prompts the people involved in these matters to engage in settlement negotiations.
Why Is There a Xarelto MDL?
Xarelto was introduced to the market in 2011 and it is known as an anticoagulant, or blood thinner. It is generally used by people with irregular heartbeats in order to minimize the chances of suffering heart attacks or strokes. Unfortunately, many users of Xarelto and some studies state that taking this medication can lead to internal bleeding. Even more unfortunate is the fact that there is no known reversal agent for this internal bleeding. Warfarin, the previous medication used most often in these situations, did have a reversal agent.
Given the problems that arose, more than 400 individual Xarelto lawsuits have been filed against the defendants mentioned above. Those claims are all basically similar in that they state that using Xarelto led to serious internal bleeding and injuries. It is believed by many experts that more Xarelto lawsuits will be filed in the coming months, as the medication was extremely popular when it hit the market and used by many people.
Xarelto Lawsuits and Your Legal Rights
If you or someone you love has been harmed as a result of using this medication, you need to take immediate steps to protect your legal rights. Contact the Xarelto side effects lawyers at Parilman & Associates today to schedule a free initial consultation. You can either email the firm or call 800-800-DRUG.
