These lawsuits are part of multidistrict litigation in U.S. District Court, Southern District of Illinois. On November 4, the court established a protocol for selecting bellwether cases, directing both sides to select up to three lawsuits as possible candidates. In January 2014, the court will select four of those cases for the first bellwether trials, which are scheduled to commence in August 2014.

According to court records, at least 1,767 lawsuits are pending in the litigation. The complaints allege that Boehringer Ingelheim failed to adequately warn doctors and patients about internal bleeding as a side effect of Pradaxa and about the lack of an available antidote.

The Food and Drug Administration recorded more than 582 deaths and 3,292 reports of other adverse events involving Pradaxa in 2012, according to the Institute for Safe Medicine Practices. The figure exceeds the adverse reports of any other drug tracked in 2012.

According to news reports, regulators in several countries have issued warnings regarding the side effects of the drug, especially concerning internal bleeding.

Pradaxa has been sold as an alternative to warfarin, an established blood-thinning medication. Blood-thinning medications are prescribed to prevent strokes caused by blood clots. Some research has found Pradaxa to be more effective than warfarin at preventing such strokes. However, internal hemorrhaging caused by warfarin can be treated with vitamin K; there is no such effective treatment for stopping internal bleeding caused by Pradaxa.

U.S. District Judge David Herndon recently ruled that Boehringer Ingelheim must pay a fine of almost $1,000,000 for withholding or failing to preserve “countless” files sought by the plaintiffs. Judge Herndon said that the company acted in bad faith and that its efforts to safeguard the documents were grossly inadequate.

The documents in question concerned the drug maker’s development and marketing of Pradaxa. Judge Herndon said that the failure to preserve them was “egregious.”

Boehringer Ingelheim said that there were unintentional and unexpected discovery problems in the litigation, and that the plaintiffs were not prevented from obtaining access to the central documents in the case.

A key allegation in the lawsuits is that Boehringer executives were aware of the risk of death from internal bleeding when they brought the drug to market in 2010. Pradaxa has generated sales of more than $1,000,000,000 for the German, family-owned firm.

Bob Briskman is a injury lawyer and attorney in Chicago with Briskman Briskman & Greenberg. To learn more call 1.877.595.4878 or visit http://www.briskmanandbriskman.com/.

Dabigatran, better known as Pradaxa, marketed by Boehringer Ingelheim, is an anti-coagulant prescribed to millions of patients since its release in 2010. Now patients are coming forward with claims of life-threatening and other serious side effects.

An FDA MedWatch report states that Pradaxa caused at least 542 known deaths in 2011, the year after it was introduced to the public. Other reports include more than 2,350 cases of internal hemorrhaging, 644 strokes and almost 300 cases of acute renal failure. The most often cited side affects patients are claiming were caused by Pradaxa include gastrointestinal bleeding, brain hemorrhage, stroke, and heart attack.

The maker of Pradaxa, Boehringer Ingelheim, has been accused of concealment of risk, negligence, and strict product liability. The company has also been accused of failing to establish an internal bleeding protocol, failing to warn consumers of the high risks associated with taking Pradaxa, and failing to adequately research the medication’s safety and proper dosage.

Pradaxa has been a popular substitute for Warfarin, an anti-coagulant on the market for more than 50 years. Warfarin also increases the risk of internal bleeding, but the bleeding can be stopped with vitamin K. Pradaxa does not have a comparable antidote and there is no standard method to measure its anticoagulant effects.

Pradaxa lawsuits were consolidated in August 2012 to allow multiple litigants; four bellwether trials are scheduled for August 2014. Meanwhile, Pradaxa is still on the market and is considered a viable treatment option for those who need an anticoagulant. Anticoagulants are designed to reduce blood clotting or prevent blood clots. Anticoagulants are commonly prescribed to treat superficial venous thrombosis (SVT), deep vein clots, and deep venous thrombosis DVT. Anticoagulants are also commonly given when there is a risk of stroke.

As of April 2013, the label for Pradaxa contains a boxed warning which advises that discontinuing the medication may increase the risk of stroke.

If you or a loved one has been prescribed Pradaxa and have had any incidences of an adverse reaction, your experience should be immediately reported to the FDA.

At The Hale Law Firm, we have helped thousands of clients successfully prosecute their personal injury claims including auto accidents, wrongful death, dangerous products, brain injuries, burn injuries, and defective medical devices. Clients depend on their personal injury lawyers for guidance and legal advice across a broad range of personal injury accidents. To learn more, visit http://www.hale911.com/ or call 972.351.0000.