Yaz Plaintiff Claims Minor Suffers from Gallbladder Disease
On July 3, 2012, Richard and Carol Browne, for the benefit of the minor daughter C.A.B., filed a Yaz side effects lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas (Galveston). Their complaint states that the plaintiffs’ minor child ingested Yaz, and as a result suffered “gall bladder disease, disregulation of her nervous system and other body systems…[and] has been diagnosed with a ruptured cyst on one of her ovaries.”
Their case has been slated for removal to multidistrict litigation, which in recent months has seen many cases end in Yaz lawsuit settlements.
Plaintiffs claim minor daughter suffers Yaz side effects
Richard and Carol Browne allege that Bayer Corporation, et al. is liable for their daughter’s injuries. According to their complaint, “The child’s gall bladder was destroyed causing her months of pain and discomfort and causing her to have to undergo surgery to remove her gall bladder, suffering severe and personal injuries, physical pain and mental anguish, diminished enjoyment of life, medical, health, incidental and related expenses, and the fear of developing any of the above named health consequences.”
The plaintiffs claim strict products liability, including design defect and inadequate warning, as well as negligence, fraudulent misrepresentation, breach of express and implied warranties, and violation of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act.
MDL consolidates claims of Yaz death
The Brownes’ lawsuit was marked for removal to the U.S. District Court for Southern District of Illinois, where lawsuits involving Yaz have been centralized into multidistrict litigation. The Yaz MDL consolidates complaints involving blood clots, gallbladder disease, and Yaz death.
In the United States alone, more than 14,000 plaintiffs have brought nearly 12,000 lawsuits against Yaz and Yasmin, two birth control medications manufactured by Bayer. Presiding Judge David R. Herndon has appointed George Washington Law School professor Stephen Saltzburg as a Special Master to officiate mediation between Bayer and plaintiffs.
Bayer could pay $2.62 billion in Yaz lawsuit settlements
As of June 2012, Professor Saltzburg has helped negotiated $142 million in Yaz lawsuit settlements, including the most recent $110 million settlement for 500 cases – an average of $218,000 per claim. Experts estimate that the pharmaceutical giant may pay up to $2.65 billion in Yaz settlements, although these estimates related to Yaz death and injuries from blood clots, not gallbladder disease.
In fact, Bayer currently denies that their drug can cause gallbladder disease, and legal counsel for Bayer states that, “At this point, they’ve said they don’t anticipate settling any of the gallbladder cases.”
