There’s an important update to announce regarding federal blood thinner lawsuits. These lawsuits, specifically Eliquis lawsuits, have been consolidated as multi-district litigations (MDL) and assigned to a federal court in New York.
How MDL Affects Federal Blood Thinner Lawsuits
Multi-district litigation (MDL) is a term that often confuses people who aren’t involved in the legal field. MDL is similar to class action lawsuits in some ways, but they are still different. There are around 100 Eliquis lawsuits that were consolidated. There are around the same amount that have yet to be consolidated. They may be consolidated later in the spring, but that remains to be seen. Much like a class action lawsuit, the federal blood thinner lawsuits all have the same basic claims. This is one of the reasons why they are consolidated. With 100 Eliquis lawsuits filed, you can imagine how long it would take the court system to get to each individual case and go through all of the pre-trial work such as filing and answering motions, discovery, and determine what evidence will be admitted and heard. Then, each case would be heard. Trials may be hours long. They could take days. They could take weeks or even months. With MDL, the federal blood thinner lawsuits are lumped together for the purposes of pre-trial and discovery. Although each claim would still be heard by the court, conducting all of the discovery and pre-trial conferences together cuts down the amount of time it takes for the cases to get to trial.
However, unlike class action lawsuits, the recovery amount wouldn’t be split between the plaintiffs. With an MDL, the claims are heard individually. In the Eliquis lawsuits, each one would be heard on its own and there would be a verdict for each case. This means that while some plaintiffs may be successful, others may not be successful. With a class action lawsuit, if there is a verdict in favor of the plaintiff, the compensatory amount would be split between the plaintiffs (and the lawyers would still need to be paid). If the class action lawsuit is not successful, the plaintiffs receive nothing.
Eliquis Lawsuits Allege Severe Bleeding
Eliquis is a blood thinner that is relatively new to the market when compared to Coumadin (Warfarin). Eliquis was marketed as a blood thinner that had less stringent monitoring conditions for patients. When patients take Coumadin, they must undergo regular blood work. With Eliquis, there is not required blood work that needs to be performed on a regular basis. However, Eliquis lawsuits allege that taking the medication leaves patients at risk of uncontrolled bleeding that may result in death.
When Eliquis was released onto the market, it was done so without an antidote for uncontrolled bleeding. Uncontrolled bleeding while taking Coumadin can be treated with an infusion of Vitamin K. Severe bleeding on Eliquis does not respond to Vitamin K. As a result, people who take Eliquis face a grave risk.
Would You Benefit from Filing an Eliquis Lawsuit?
If you or someone you love took Eliquis and suffered because of a severe bleeding episode, call Goldwater Law Firm. You may be eligible to receive compensation for your medical costs, lost wages, and pain and suffering. To learn more about whether you would benefit from filing an Eliquis lawsuit, contact Goldwater Law Firm now to schedule your free case review.