As drug giant Bayer has started to settle some of the Yaz lawsuits filed against them, it seems that many potential plaintiffs may be wary about filing their own claims. However, this move by Bayer should act as an inducement to file your claims because it shows that the company is acknowledging that it may be somehow liable for the injuries patients have suffered as a result of their drug’s side effects.
Bayer agreed to the settlement just as a federal court that was to host thousands of Yaz lawsuits was getting ready to begin hearing the suits. While the drug company hasn’t agreed to settle all of the lawsuits filed against it, Bayer did agree to settle at least some of the cases. In an Illinois MDL that consists of more than 6,000 Yaz lawsuits, the plaintiffs are alleging that they developed various injuries after taking the controversial birth control pills Yaz or Yasmin.
As to just how many Yaz lawsuits Bayer has actually settled, the annual report that the drug company released lists the number at about 70 cases. The report was released on February 13, 2012. However, even though Bayer is agreeing to settle those cases, the company isn’t admitting to being at fault for the plaintiffs’ Yaz injuries. The amount that Bayer is settling for hasn’t been released yet.
While the settlement certainly has the potential to encourage new plaintiffs to file Yaz lawsuits, it is not a guarantee that other cases will be settled in the same manner, even though there is countless research to verify that drospirenone-based birth control pills like Yaz and Yasmin cause serious side effects including heart attacks, strokes, gallbladder disease and blood clots that can lead to pulmonary embolisms and deep vein thrombosis. New plaintiffs are filing lawsuits every day and it is likely that many more will be filed in the future.