The oral contraceptive market is a multi-billion dollar industry. Manufacturers always find innovative ways to develop drugs that are designed to control unwanted pregnancies. Unfortunately, some products may yield unwanted results.
A defective product, especially those used for medical purposes, can have a significant, and often adverse, impact on the well-being of those who used it. Often, this results in a Chicago products liability lawsuit that could be costly for the medical products manufacturer.
One of the world’s biggest drug manufacturers recently agreed to settle medical products liability lawsuits filed by more than 10,000 women since 2009 over its line of oral contraceptives. According to the lawsuits, women suffered from excruciatingly painful gallbladder injuries as a result of using the birth control pills. The contraceptive line has also been linked to serious and life-threatening injuries, which include stroke and heart attack, some of which have resulted in death.
The complaints claimed that the international drug manufacturer should have known about the risks and effects of its oral contraceptive pills. The settlement agrees to pay a total of $24 million to claimants alleging gallbladder injuries. The deal was consolidated in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois and also in other state courts that had complainants.
The company has agreed to pay $2,000 to each plaintiff with gallbladder injuries and $3,000 to those who had to have their gall bladders removed. The amount could be reduced depending on the number of claims and may also be nullified if less than 90 percent of plaintiffs agree to take part. The company still claims that their product did not enhance gallbladder injuries any more so than others in the market. It is yet to be seen if claimants will agree to this deal.
Source: newswire.net, “Yaz Lawsuit Settlement: Bayer to Pay $1 Billion Plus to Settle Yasmin Litigation,” Phyllis Brown, March 24, 2013