Newark Woman Sues Bayer over Yaz
A 39-year-old Newark woman has filed a lawsuit against Bayer Corporation, blaming its popular birth control product Yaz for causing her stroke and other related health issues. The mother of 3-year-old twin girls took the prescription-only product for four weeks in the summer of 2008. She then suffered a stroke that caused her to be hospitalized for six months.
The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court in San Francisco. The complainant had been taking the pills to help reduce premenstrual pains — which is one of the advertised uses of Yaz. While hospitalized, the woman needed to have part of her skull temporarily removed because of excessive swelling in her brain. That portion of skull was later replaced. As a result of the stroke and related illness, she also suffered a diminished IQ and is now borderline mentally handicapped. She has also experienced a change in her mood and speech. The suit attributes the woman’s health problems to Yaz.
As the No. 1 selling birth control in the world, Yaz has been at the center of much criticism in recent years. The Food and Drug Administration has criticized the makers of Yaz three times in recent years regarding the company's advertising campaign, the suit said.
In a letter issued to Bayer in October 2008, the FDA stated: "The TV ads are misleading because they broaden the drug's indication, overstate the efficacy of Yaz, and minimize serious risks associated with the use of the drug." The company has agreed to spend at least $20 million in recent years for corrective television advertisements to make women better aware of the products' side effects, according to published reports.
If you or a loved one has suffered serious drug side effects as a result of taking Yaz or Yasmin, please contact the Missouri injury lawyers at Page Cagle at (866) 620-5757 for a free consultation. We have several resources and access to experts, who will help determine whether your drug side effects were caused as a result of taking these contraceptives and whether you have a products liability claim against Bayer. Call Page Cagle today to find out how our skilled attorneys can help.
