The Judicial Panel on MultiDistrict Litigation has approved Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) over Yasmin and Yaz to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois under Chief Judge David R. Herndron. Yaz and Yasmin attorneys say that the MDL is good news for plaintiffs who have been injured by Bayer's controversial birth control pills.
Why the MDL is good for plaintiffs
Over one hundred Yaz and Yasmin lawsuits have now been filed against global pharmaceutical manufacturer, Bayer Healthcare alleging that the oral contraceptives cause heart attacks, strokes, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolism, gallbladder disease, sudden death and more.
Since many of the allegations against Bayer are similar, the lawsuits have been consolidated into an MDL – a procedure which allows civil lawsuits with common questions of fact to be consolidated for pretrial proceedings in front of one judge for the convenience of the plaintiffs and witnesses and to avoid conflicting rulings. Yaz / Yasmin attorneys say that it is good news for plaintiffs as an MDL facilitates the process more quickly and efficiently and allows lawyers to focus their attention on specific discovery issues.
All Yaz and Yasmin drug defect lawsuits that have been filed in federal court now and in the future will be consolidated in the MDL (MDL-2100) under Chief Judge David R. Herndon of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois.
How an MDL differs from a class action lawsuit
MDL's are different than class action lawsuits in that they are transferred back to their court of origin if the matter isn't able to be resolved beforehand. Class action lawsuits are decided “as a group” in the court in which they are filed.
More Yaz / Yasmin lawsuits being filed every day
Yaz & Yasmin may be more dangerous than other birth control pills because they contain drospirenone which blocks the hormone aldosterone – causing an increase in potassium levels, which leads to dehydration and an increased risk of hyperkalemia arrhythmia and DVT. The mounting number of Yaz and Yasmin lawsuits being filed seems to evidence that. Six more lawsuits were filed this week in New York alleging negligence, product liability and breach of warranty and fraud.