Yasmin and Yaz Litigation

As of early 2012, the Yaz litigation and Yasmin litigation consists of more than 10,000 individual injury cases that have been filed in state and federal courts throughout the United States on behalf of women who have experienced serious and potentially life-threatening injuries, such as:

• Heart attack or Stroke from Yaz or Yasmin
• Pulmonary Embolism from Yaz or Yasmin
• Deep Vein Thrombosis from Yaz or Yasmin
• Gallbladder Problems from Yaz or Yasmin (i.e. gallbladder disease or removal)
• Sudden Death from Yaz or Yasmin

All federal litigation over Yaz and Yasmin has been consolidated and centralized in an MDL, or “Multidistrict Litigation,” before Chief Judge David R. Herndon. Therefore, any cases filed in federal district courts throughout the United States will be transferred to Judge Herndon in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois for pre-trial proceedings.

While cases in the MDL are handled in a manner similar to how a Yasmin or Yaz class action lawsuit would be managed during pretrial litigation, each claim remains an individual case. If the litigation does not resolve during pretrial proceedings, the individual lawsuits will be returned back to the federal district court where they were filed for a trial.

In October 2010, a Case Management Order was established in the federal MDL, scheduling three Yaz and Yasmin bellwether trials, which are representative cases that will be used to gauge how juries will respond to testimony and evidence that is likely to be introduced throughout other cases in the litigation. The first trial was scheduled to begin in September 2011, involving a pulmonary embolism lawsuit, followed by a second trial to begin in January 2012, involving a gallbladder lawsuit, with a third trial scheduled to begin in April 2012, involving a venus thromboembolism, such as a deep vein thrombosis lawsuit. However, in April 2011, the trial dates were continued and the first cases were expected to begin in early 2012.

On December 31, 2011, Judge David Herndon postponed the start of the first trial, indicating that the best interests of the Yaz and Yasmin litigation would be served by ordering the parties to engage in mediation in an attempt reach a settlement of the Yaz / Yasmin litigation.

At the state court level, litigation over Yaz and Yasmin has also been centralized in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, where the cases will be managed in a manner similar to the MDL. The New Jersey Yaz litigation is centralized before Judge Brian R. Martinotti in Bergen County Superior Court. The Pennsylvania Yaz litigation is centralized before Judge Sandra Mazer Moss in Philadelphia.

FIND OUT IF YOU CAN PARTICIPATE IN THE YASMIN OR YAZ LITIGATION

The Yasmin and Yas birth control lawyers at Saiontz & Kirk, P.A. are continuing to review potential lawsuits for individuals who have suffered a serious injury from Yaz or Yasmin. To review a potential claim for yourself, a friend or family member and determine if compensation may by joining the Yaz and Yasmin litigation, request a free consultation and claim evaluation.