Bayer HealthCare to establish fund benefitting arterial blood clot victims
NEW YORK – Attorney Richard D. “Rick” Meadow of The Lanier Law Firm and a team of lawyers from across the U.S. have negotiated a sizeable settlement with drug manufacturer Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc. that will benefit thousands of women who suffered life-altering side effects after taking the prescription birth control pills Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella.
The settlement announced Aug. 3 will resolve the claims of victims who have suffered arterial blood clots based on their use of the dangerous birth control prescriptions, which have been tied to strokes and heart attacks in patients. The drugs also are blamed for causing deep vein thrombosis and gallbladder irregularities.
“I’m proud to represent the victims of these dangerous drugs, and it’s an honor to work alongside the impressive lawyers and firms who helped make this settlement a reality,” says Mr. Meadow.
Since the original lawsuits were filed against Bayer beginning in the late 2000s, more than 12,000 individual plaintiffs have asserted claims tied to their use of Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella. During the height of the drugs’ popularity, they helped Bayer reap billions of dollars in sales, including more than $1.5 billion in 2010 alone.
The lawsuits against Bayer previously were consolidated in a multi-district litigation before a Pennsylvania federal court. Mr. Meadow and other lawyers representing the plaintiffs were appointed to a special committee to negotiate case settlements.
In addition to Mr. Meadow, who serves as the National Mass Tort Leader for The Lanier Law Firm in New York, the settlement was negotiated on behalf of the injured women by Seth Katz of Denver’s Burg, Simpson, Eldredge, Hersh, Jardine P.C.; Michael London of New York’s Douglas & London, P.C.; Daniel S. Robinson of Newport Beach, California’s Robinson Calcagnie Robinson Shapiro Davis, Inc.; and Michael M. Weinkowitz of Philadelphia’s Levin, Fishbein, Sedran & Berman.
With offices in Houston, New York and Los Angeles, The Lanier Law Firm is committed to addressing client concerns with effective and innovative solutions in courtrooms across the country. The firm is composed of outstanding trial attorneys with decades of experience handling cases involving pharmaceutical liability, asbestos exposure, commercial litigation, product liability, maritime law, and sports and entertainment law.
