Fla. Woman Alleges Pradaxa Caused Father’s Death

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A Florida woman has filed a Pradaxa lawsuit against Boehringer Ingelheim alleging the wrongful death of her father due to the design defects of the blood-thinning medication.

Pradaxa is a direct thrombin inhibitor that is prescribed to reduce the risk of stroke and systemic embolism in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation. Roy D. Williams Sr. was a suffering from atrial fibrillation, which put him at a particularly high risk of experiencing one of these attacks, so his doctors prescribed Pradaxa, the Pradaxa lawsuit said.

Pradaxa was allegedly recommended by his physician due to Boehringer’s aggressive advertisement statements that it was more effective than Warfarin. Additionally, Pradaxa is a convenient alternative to Warfarin because it does not require dose adjustments, or any dietary restrictions. Williams reportedly stopped taking Coumadin and started his Pradaxa prescription on June 8, 2012.

Soon after starting the medication, Williams reportedly started experiencing dangerous Pradaxa complications and had to be rushed to the hospital. He was allegedly suffering rectal bleeding, melena, and generalized weakness. Upon his arrival into the intensive care unit, he was diagnosed with acute gastrointestinal bleeding, according to his Pradaxa bleeding lawsuit.

After recovering from that episode, Williams reportedly suffered another bout of internal bleeding, allegedly worsened by Pradaxa. Williams died of bleeding injuries on Aug. 24, 2012. His daughter, Florida plaintiff Karen Williams-Sander, filed the Pradaxa lawsuit against Boehringer alleging negligence, false advertising, concealing information, and misrepresenting a product.

Overview of Pradaxa Complications

Pradaxa (Dabigatran Etexilate) is the second anticoagulant in the history of the United States to be approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA). Its predecessor, Warfarin, was approved 50 years prior as the first drug for its purpose, which was to reduce the risk of stroke and systemic embolism in high risk patients. Upon its release in 2010, Pradaxa was advertised to be more powerful and efficient than Warfarin, with no need to regulate dosage amounts. This allowed the drug to rise in popularity almost as soon as it was released, but with its success came some serious downfalls. It was soon discovered that Pradaxa was not only susceptible to the same design defects as Warfarin, particularly uncontrolled internal bleeding, but it did not have an antidote to stop the bleeding.

Because of this complication, many patients suffered the events of uncontrollable bleeding, often leading to hospitalization, and even death. Despite the severity of Pradaxa side effects, the warning label only indicates a slight possibility of hemorrhage.

The Pradaxa Bleeding Lawsuit is In Re: Pradaxa (dabigatran etexilate) Product Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2385, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois.

Join a Free Pradaxa Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you or a loved one were medically diagnosed with internal bleeding problems after using Pradaxa, you may be able to take legal action against the drug’s manufacturer. Joining a Pradaxa class action lawsuit or filing an individual Pradaxa lawsuit may help you recover compensation for medical bills, pain and suffering, and other damages. Obtain a free case evaluation now:

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