Yaz Stroke Lawsuit Demands Damages for Loss of Wife and Mother
A lawsuit recently added to the Yaz MDL in Illinois is seeking damages for the loss of a wife and mother. The plaintiff in the case alleges that use of the oral contraceptive led to his wife’s Yaz stroke and subsequent death. The case was filed in the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Illinois, on June 29, 2012.
Yaz stroke leaves permanent damage
Yaz stroke is one of the most dangerous side effects of Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella, along with Yaz pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis (Yaz DVT). A stroke can lead to long-term medical issues, including vision and hearing impairment, paralysis and loss of balance. In extreme cases, like that of the deceased in this Yaz lawsuit, the results can be fatal.
The plaintiff, Chad Zipperer, claims his wife Brandy was unaware of the risks associated with Yaz when she began taking the oral contraceptive. In the complaint, Zipperer and his lawyer allege that drug manufacturer and defendant in the lawsuit Bayer did not make risks of developing side effects such as Yaz pulmonary embolism and stroke widely known to consumers and the medical community. In fact, the complaint asserts that the company did quite the opposite, “urging” women to use Yaz, Yamin and Ocella as a safe option in contraception.
The Yaz lawsuit states that Brandy Zipperer died on April 3, 2007, after suffering “pain and mental anguish” from her injuries. The plaintiff in the case states that Zipperer was “a good wife, mother and provider” prior to her untimely death. As a direct result of the defendant’s actions, Chad Zipperer asserts that the decedent has now incurred medical and funeral expenses that were a direct result of her Yaz stroke. Zipperer is seeking treble, exemplary and punitive damages.
Yaz MDL continues to grow
Zipperer is one of many who have been injured by serious side effects like Yaz pulmonary embolism and stroke. Currently, more than 11,900 lawsuits have been filed on behalf of 14,000 women who have been injured by Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella. The majority of these lawsuits have been consolidated into the federal MDL in Illinois, in the same court where Zipperer’s lawsuit was filed.
Currently Bayer is settling with many of the plaintiffs involved in the Yaz multidistrict litigation, with more than 700 settlements paid to the total of $142 million to date. Average Yaz settlements have reached around $218,000 per plaintiff.
It appears that the settlement process will continue into the near future, as George Washington School of Law professor Stephen Saltzburg oversees the settlement negotiations at the request of the presiding judge, David R. Herndon. Mediation efforts allo injured parties to negotiate Yaz settlements in the hopes of avoiding lengthy litigation and jury trials.
