Pennsylvania Jury Deliberating in Xarelto Trial

The fourth Xarelto-related product liability case to go to trial went to the jury on Friday as attorneys accused Johnson and Johnson and Bayer of deliberately understating the risks of serious internal bleeding associated with the blockbuster drug. This case was tried in Pennsylvania state court, and not through the Federal MDL out of New Orleans.

The case is one of more than 1,500 Xarelto-related cases pending as part of a mass tort program in the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas. The prior three trials in the MDL resulted in verdicts for the Defendants.

The case centered on arguments that the drugmakers failed to include information in Xarelto’s warning label indicating that the rate of bleeding events observed in a clinical trial was significantly higher among patients in the United States than patients elsewhere in the world. According to evidence in the case, the rate among participants in the United States was 8.1 percent annually versus 3.6 percent annually among participants globally. The label was ultimately updated in September 2015 to include such information.

Pittman, Dutton & Hellums, P.C., is currently investigating Xarelto cases. If you or a loved one were prescribed Xarelto and suffered an irreversible internal bleeding that lead to hospitalization and/or death, contact Booth Samuels at toll free 1-866-515-8880 or by email at booths@pittmanudutton.com.

Johnson & Johnson Hit Third Time Over Pinnacle Metal-on-Metal Hips

A Dallas federal jury on Thursday found in favor of six plaintiffs and against Johnson & Johnson and its DePuy Orthopaedics unit. The $247 million verdict is the third loss J&J has had in four civil jury trials. The verdict includes $78 million in compensation for the plaintiffs’ injuries and more than $168 million in punitive damages.

J&J won the first Pinnacle test trial in 2014, but subsequent juries determined the companies to be liable. A jury in March 2016 awarded five Texas plaintiffs $500 million in damages. That award was later cut to $150 million. 

J&J and DePuy were also found liable at a trial in March, during which a jury awarded six California patients $1 billion - a verdict that was later reduced to $543 million. 

Six New York residents implanted with the devices said they experienced tissue death, bone erosion and other injuries they blamed on design flaws. The jury found that the metal-on-metal hip implants were defectively designed and that the companies failed to warn consumers about the risks. 

J&J faces more than 9,700 Pinnacle lawsuits in state and federal courts across the United States. It is more likely than not that J&J will appeal the verdict, as they have the other three. Three more bellwether trials have been scheduled. These gigantic losses could weaken the company’s position in any settlement talks with plaintiffs in the MDL. A previous DePuy hip-implant settlement cost the company billions. Johnson & Johnson agreed to resolve more than 9,800 lawsuits over DePuy’s ASR hip implants for $4.4 billion in 2013 and through a settlement extension in 2015.

The ASR model was recalled. The Pinnace model was never recalled, however DePuy ceased selling the metal-on-metal Pinnacle devices in 2013 after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration strengthened its artificial hip regulations.

Pittman, Dutton & Hellums is actively filing cases on behalf of individuals allegedly injured by both types of artificial metal-on-metal hip implants- ASR and Pinnacle models. If you would like a free case evaluation, please contact Booth Samuels toll free at 1-866-515-8880 or at booths@pittmandutton.com.

First Xarelto Trial in Consolidated Pennsylvania State Court Starts Today

The first state court trial in a lawsuit alleging Xarelto causes internal bleeding kicked off today in Philadelphia, following three federal cases in which Xarelto makers Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc and Bayer Pharma AG prevailed. The three previous trials were out of the federally consolidated MDL in New Orleans, although one trial took place in Mississippi.

There are approximately 1,400 Xarelto cases pending in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas. There are close to 18,000 cases pending in the MDL. A lot of pretrial motions in October dealt with the exclusions of both sides’ experts, and a question of whether punitive damages would be allowed to be sent to the jury. Hopefully the plaintiff prevails in this case, although there are several other cases set in Pennsylvania.

Pittman, Dutton & Hellums, P.C., is currently investigating Xarelto cases. If you or a loved one were prescribed Xarelto and suffered an irreversible internal bleeding that lead to hospitalization and/or death, contact Booth Samuels at toll free 1-866-515-8880 or by email at booths@pittmanudutton.com