The Heart Drug Pradaxa And Its Possible Fatal Side Effects

If you or a family member have suffered serious problems after taking the heart drug Pradaxa, then it is vital that you contact an experienced team of Los Angeles personal injury attorneys who can explain your rights. Pradaxa is a drug that has been manufactured by German pharmaceutical giant Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH and is a new class of drug that is designed to replace Warfarin that is used to prevent strokes and atrial fibrillation. However reports are starting to come forward that over 250 cases of fatal bleeding from users of the drug have been reported.

The way drugs like Warfarin and now Pradaxa work is that they are designed to thin the blood (an anticoagulant). Not only do they thin the blood, but are an oral direct Thrombin inhibitor and can help the blood flow easier around the heart and indeed the body, thus preventing strokes and heart rhythm disorders. Pradaxa was initially approved by the FDA in October of 2010 and has taken the place of the older drug Warfarin that in some cases can be difficult to administer.

Makers Boehringer Ingelheim have taken the liberty without being prompted by the FDA to place a warning on the packet, which states that in extreme cases the drug can cause serious and in some cases fatal bleeding, However it was initially cleared by regulators stating the claim that Pradaxa is no different from any other type of anticoagulant drug and does carry the same risks but only in small minorities of people. On the other hand, clinical trials of the drug have claimed that compared to Warfarin, Pradaxa is far better at reducing the risk of strokes. At present the FDA are carefully monitoring the situation.

In cases such as this it is often difficult for an individual or the family of a victim to prove that a particular drug has caused unequivocal damage or even caused death to a person, and this is why the services of a highly skilled Los Angeles personal injury attorney should be called upon. Any lawyer worth their salt will offer a free, no obligation consultation in which a potential client can speak with a lawyer and get any concerns aired or any questions answered about the possible impending case. Also a skilled attorney can make a quick assessment of whether the victim has a case to answer or not and if so, can liaise with the client as to how they are going to go about achieving maximum compensation for their ordeal.

Class action lawsuits

In some instances a representing attorney may well decide that the best way forward is to start to assemble a class action lawsuit. Often when injured parties or families of victims are up against large corporations, the companies who have been cited will not pay much attention to individual cases and may even brush them under the carpet. However if there are enough people who have experienced problems, then collectively under the guidance of a skilled personal injury lawyer Los Angeles, they will have more clout and the cited defendants in such a claim will have no choice but to take notice. On top of this, cases tend to move that much quicker (almost like a snowball effect) when a class action lawsuit is taking place. Finally in terms of court costs, it works out much cheaper for a collective of people, than loads of separate cases. On the downside of a class action lawsuit, many compensation claims may not be worth as much as they might be if an individual case was proven to be successful.

Problematic drug issues are notoriously hard cases to fight, as the large pharmaceutical companies will hardly ever settle out of court. Therefore it is vital that you should chose a team of Los Angeles personal injury lawyers who not only have the financial backing behind them to take the case all the way, but will also take an aggressive stance. Doing this will mean that they will fight tooth and nail in order to maximize compensation for their client.

As the FDA closely monitor the drug Pradaxa there may well be more cases of fatal bleeding that come out in the future as only time will tell. Although the drug companies say that it is an unfortunate side effect and occurs no more commonly than that of other similar drugs such as Warfarin, they are still on the FDA radar and as a result teams of experienced Los Angeles personal injury attorneys are also keeping a close eye on proceedings.