Women Harmed By Yaz, Yasmin, or Ocella May Have Products Liability Claims

Lawsuits are mounting against the drug manufacturer Bayer International, Inc., for injuries allegedly caused by the oral contraceptives Yaz, Yasmin, and Ocella. In Indiana, more than 50 women have sued Bayer, according to 6News, an Indiana news outlet. The plaintiffs claim that these drugs are dangerous and defective, causing heart attacks and strokes in women who take them.

In the Indiana class action lawsuit, plaintiffs argue that the warning label on the drug packaging is not enough to sufficiently caution women about the risks of taking Yaz, Yasmin, and Ocella. If a product manufacturer fails to warn consumers about safety risks inherent in the use of its product, the manufacturer may be held liable in a defective products lawsuit for injuries caused as a result of the failure to warn.

Liability for injuries caused by defective products may be based on either failure to warn, design defect, or manufacturing defect. In theory, Bayer could be vulnerable to all three types of products liability claims with respect to Yaz, Yasmin, and Ocella.

Design Defect?

If a product has a design defect, all of the products manufactured according to the design specifications will pose the same danger.

Yaz, Yasmin, and Ocella use a new synthetic progestin called drospirenone which, according to an August 2009 British Medical Journal study, may be the reason the pills carry a 6.3 times increased risk of deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism (blood clots).

Manufacturing Defect?

With a manufacturing defect, something occurs during the manufacturing process that makes the product defective. This may be due to use of substandard materials, failure to inspect the product, or a problem on the assembly line.

Bayer has come under fire with the FDA for using a German manufacturing facility that does not adhere to minimum health and safety standards. Specifically, the way in which the facility calculates variability in ingredients does not meet American standards. If these sub-standard conditions lead to a manufacturing error and a woman is harmed as a result, she may be able to recover damages under a manufacturing defect theory.

Failure to Warn?

Products must have clear and complete warnings of any reasonably foreseeable hazards. Even if a product is safe in its design and manufacture, if the warnings and instructions fail to disclose a known risk associated with a product, or are vague or incomplete, the manufacturer can be held liable.

In addition to the claims brought by the Indiana plaintiffs, Bayer has also been reprimanded by the FDA for having engaged in a misleading advertising campaign, including failing to adequately communicate the risks associated with taking these drugs. That campaign, despite its disingenuous marketing approach, helped to make Yaz the most popular oral contraceptive in the United States. In fact, more than 30 percent of women who use hormonal oral contraceptives take Yaz or Yasmin, according to 6News.

What Women Should Know About Yaz, Yasmin, and Ocella

Products liability lawsuits continue to be filed across the country by women who have been injured as a result of taking the birth control pills Yaz, Yasmin, and Ocella. To learn more about these drugs and how they affect the body, visit the Mayo Clinic website, which provides information that women should know before they choose to take these hormonal oral contraceptives.

Yaz, its predecessor Yasmin, and the generic Ocella are all made up of drospirenone (a progestin) and ethinyl estradiol (estrogen). According to the Mayo Clinic, these drugs are not recommended for use with certain other medications, including: Felbamate, Isotretinoin, Paclitaxel, Paclitaxel Protein-Bound, Theophylline, and Tizanidine. Additionally, if you have a history of depression, migraine, jaundice, or high blood pressure, it may not be safe for you to take Yaz, Yasmin, or Ocella. Ask your doctor. There is a long list of medical problems that may affect the use of these birth control pills.

Like most drugs, Yaz, Yasmin, and Ocella have the potential to cause side effects, some of which are serious. If you are taking Yaz, Yasmin, or Ocella, consuming some other substances can increase your risk of experiencing side effects from your birth control pill; a few of these substances include: Amoxicillin, Ginseng, Licorice, Oxytetracycline, and St. John’s Wort. Notably, the Mayo Clinic also reports that you may experience an increase in side effects if you consume caffeine or grapefruit juice while you are taking Yaz, Yasmin, or Ocella.

Possible dangerous side effects of Yaz, Yasmin, and Ocella include: non-cancerous liver tumors, liver cancer, blood clots, or stroke. Although these effects are rare, they can be serious enough to cause death. The Mayo Clinic recommends speaking to your doctor if you are taking Yaz, Yasmin, or Ocella and you experience continuing or severe abdominal pain, anxiety, fever, sudden vision problems, ringing in the ears, or any of a number of other symptoms listed.

The Mayo Clinic is a great resource, with information on a variety of medical issues. However, nothing substitutes for personal attention from a doctor. If you believe you may be suffering from a dangerous side effect from your medication, seek medical attention. If you feel you have been injured as a result of taking Yaz, Yasmin, or Ocella, seek advice from an experienced personal injury attorney. Lawyers with experience handling defective drugs lawsuits can assist women and their families in getting the care and compensation they need in order to heal and move forward with their lives.

Women Across the U.S. Post About Yaz on Blogs and Online Forums

A quick Google search for “Yaz effects” yields a plethora of results. Women across the United States are coming together online to discuss their questions, concerns, and fears about taking the birth control pill Yaz, which is made by Bayer International, Inc. The information, questions, and personal stories have begun to accumulate. On the Women’s Health Community forum at MedHelp.org, women have been venting and sharing their experiences for months on one thread. They have been complaining about everything from weight gain to loss of sex drive to concerns that they could develop blood clots.

In the user reviews for Yaz on Drugs.com, a young woman complained of bleeding during sex, which her doctor told her might be a result of blood clots on her cervix that are getting popped as a result of intercourse.

In the Birth Control Forum on Topix.com, a woman posted, “I started taking YAZ in Feb[.] to shorten and regulate my period, in June I got a sever[e ]blood clot in my left leg and had to have surgery and be hospitalized for three days…”

The use of the oral contraceptives Yaz, Yasmin, and Ocella has been linked to Deep Vein Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolism (blood clots), stroke, gallbladder disease and gallbladder complications, heart attack, and death. Hundreds of plaintiffs have bought claims against the manufacturers of these three drugs, after experiencing health problems allegedly caused by the oral contraceptives.

When a woman has been harmed by taking Yaz, Yasmin, or Ocella, personal injury lawyers are a critical key to recovery. Attorneys can assist women and their families in getting the care and compensation they need in order to heal and move forward with their lives. In a products liability claim against a drug manufacturer, women who have suffered injury from taking a drug can potentially recover medical costs, lost wages, and compensation for pain and suffering and mental anguish.

Mounting Lawsuits Claiming Yaz, Yasmin, or Ocella Caused Injury

Lawsuits against the makers of Yaz, Yasmin, and Ocella continue to accrue across the United States. United Press International reports that as many as 25,000 claims will be handled in multidistrict litigation in Illinois. Pretrial proceedings are set to begin soon in an East St. Louis courthouse.

Since the Illinois litigation may set the precedent for how future Yaz litigation will be handled in courtrooms across the country, the proceedings will be closely monitored by judges, attorneys, and pharmaceutical companies. The judge assigned to the matter, U.S. District Chief Judge David Herndon, stated, “These trials will serve as a guideline for other cases.” Indeed, hundreds or thousands more claims against the manufacturer and distributors of Yaz, Yasmin, and Ocella are believed to be forthcoming.

Since the late summer of last year, there has been growing public concern over widespread use of Yaz and associated incidents of severe medical problems. Yaz, its predecessor, Yasmin, and the generic version, Ocella, have all been linked to strokes, heart attacks, pulmonary embolism, thrombosis, cardiac arrhythmia, gallbladder disease, kidney failure and sudden death.

One study has shown that Yaz, Yasmin, and Ocella are more likely to cause dangerous health problems than other hormonal oral contraceptives. The manufacturer, Bayer, adamantly rejects any such finding and has funded alternative studies that have reached the opposite conclusion.

The relative amount of risk involved in taking these drugs may still be up for debate, but regardless, Bayer’s actions have been cause for concern. For example, Bayer has been reprimanded by the FDA for having engaged in a misleading advertising campaign. That campaign, despite its disingenuous marketing approach, helped to make Yaz the most popular oral contraceptive in the United States. Furthermore, Bayer has been reprimanded by the FDA a second time for using a German manufacturing facility that does not adhere to minimum health and safety standards set by the FDA. Specifically, the way in which the facility calculates variability in ingredients does not meet American standards.

Above all, the simple fact that thousands of women across the United States are alleging that they were harmed by Yaz, Yasmin, or Ocella is enough to raise questions about the safety of these drugs.

Mother of Three Developed Blood Clots After Taking Birth Control Pills

The National Alliance for Thrombosis and Thrombophilia released a story in December that serves as a warning for women using oral contraceptives, such as Yaz, Yasmin, or Ocella. Kim Gronholz, an otherwise fit and healthy wife and mother of three, developed deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism (blood clots) that may have placed her life in jeopardy. Doctors determined that the blood clots were caused by Kim’s birth control pill, in conjunction with the fact that she had been physically inactive for several hours at once, while she traveled by plane and bus. Fortunately, Kim recovered after rigorous medical treatment that lasted six months.

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a condition where blood clots develop in the veins. The clots commonly appear in the legs, but they can travel to the lungs, which may be life threatening. One sign that you may have DVT is aching in your legs.

If an artery in the lungs becomes blocked, by a blood clot or otherwise, this condition is called pulmonary embolism (PE). Primary signs of PE include marked shortness of breath and chest pains.

The Mayo Clinic has more information about DVT and PE. If you take a birth control pill, and you are experiencing aches in your legs or trouble breathing, it is very important that you seek medical attention immediately.

All oral contraceptives carry some increased risk of developing blood clots, but Yaz, Yasmin, and Ocella may be four times more likely to cause blood clots than other oral contraceptives. In recent months, hundreds of women have filed claims against the manufacturer of Yaz, Yasmin, and Ocella. Yet, even as hundreds more lawsuits are expected to be filed in the coming months, these pills remain on the market.

Personal injury and products liability lawyers are a critical key to helping injured women receive the care and compensation they need to make a full recovery and return to normal life. In a products liability claim against a drug manufacturer, women who have suffered injury from taking a drug can potentially recover medical costs, lost wages, and compensation for pain and suffering and mental anguish.