In 2011, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration released study results on Yaz birth control. Those results showed women taking Yaz were as much as 74% more likely to develop blood clots than with other oral contraceptives. As one of the most popular forms of birth control, these study results disturbed many women taking Yaz. Now, yet another Bayer is settling yet another Yaz lawsuit involving blood clots by paying tens of millions in damages.
Yaz, made and marketed by Bayer, has a history of serious health risks, some even deadly. The company faced almost constant litigation for a decade due to many deep vein thrombosis reports. When blood clots travel to the lungs or heart, they can cause heart attacks or strokes which may be fatal. One Yaz lawsuit alleged the drug caused at least 50 deaths.
Yaz Lawsuit Addresses Misleading Marketing Claims
In recent years, Bayer faced accusations in court due to allegedly misleading marketing practices. Bayer launched a massive $270 million advertising campaign touting Yaz’s safety and superiority among hormonal birth control pills. The marketing campaign was enormously effective. Yaz is among the most popular birth control pills ever sold.
Yaz Lawsuit Settlement Information
In 2011, a statement from FDA chief Dr. David Kessler accused Bayer of making misleading marketing claims. He also said Bayer marketed Yaz for off-label use. Dr. Kessler stated, “By failing to disclose all thromboembolic event risk information and marketing Yaz and Yasmin off-label, Bayer needlessly exposed large numbers of women to risks of serious or fatal thromboembolic events.” By July 2012, Bayer had settled more than $402 million in U.S. lawsuits alone for Yaz-related blood clots. In many cases, the plaintiffs or their families claimed they were never made aware of the drug’s potential dangers. That same year, the FDA issued a warning about Yaz risks, requiring Bayer to package Yaz as a “black box” drug–the highest level of danger for prescription drugs.
According to Bayer’s most recent quarterly report, the company settled around 10,000 Yaz-related lawsuits for nearly $2 billion. The company is currently settling several thousand claims in the U.S. alone. Because Yaz is still on the market, it’s unlikely Bayer will stop paying settlements anytime soon.
To see if you may have a claim, get your free Yaz case review today.
Lori Polemenakos is Director of Consumer Content and SEO strategist for LeadingResponse, a legal marketing company. An award-winning journalist, writer and editor based in Dallas, Texas, she's produced articles for major brands such as Match.com, Yahoo!, MSN, AOL, Xfinity, Mail.com, and edited several published books. Since 2016, she's published hundreds of articles about Social Security disability, workers' compensation, veterans' benefits, personal injury, mass tort, auto accident claims, bankruptcy, employment law and other related legal issues.