What is Yaz?
Yaz is a pharmaceutical product that was developed by Schering AG and is now marketed and manufactured by Bayer Pharmaceuticals. Yaz is a birth control product that consists of a synthetic form of progesterone. The drug acts by confusing the body into believing it is pregnant. Yaz prevents an egg from being released and expands the uterine wall in order to prevent sperm from entering and causing pregnancy.
Yaz has been linked to a number of serious medical conditions including: gall bladder disease, blood clots, stroke, heart attack, liver tumors, high blood pressure, pancreatis, and breast cancer.
Bayer Pharmaceuticals has been sited numerous times by the FDA about the serious side effects associated with Yaz and currently there are over 8,000 individual lawsuits that have been filed against Bayer in association with serious medical conditions that have resulted from the use of Yaz as a birth control product.
Why do I need a Yaz Lawyer?
A Yaz lawyer is an attorney who specializes in pharmaceutical litigation. Yaz lawyers often take the form of class action lawyers who focus specifically on medical product litigation. If you have been injured by the use of Yaz then seeking a Yaz lawyer is something that should be number one on your agenda.
You can file a claim, and litigate, as an individual using your own personal Yaz lawyer but it is a better plan to become a part of a class action lawsuit involving Yaz lawyers. There are a number of reasons for this. First, when you are going against a pharmaecutical company on your own you will often only have one Yaz lawyer representing you in litigation. The pharmaceutical companies have teams of lawyers whose only job is to protect the company in issues involving litigation over defective pharmaceutical products. When you are involved in a class action with other people the potential settlement is going to be much higher and therefore the class action is more likely to have a team of Yaz lawyers and staff devoted solely to that case.
Another reason to get involved in a class action is the time involved in an action against a pharmaceutical company. Litigation can last for years and when you go at it alone with your own Yaz lawyer the pharmaceutical companies are more prone to delay the case as long as possible, hoping that you and your Yaz lawyer will run out of funds to continue pursuing the claim. When you are involved in a class action lawsuit with Yaz lawyers the pharmaceutical companies are less likely to take this approach. When there is an entire firm, or firms, of Yaz lawyers devoted to representing a class in a pharmaceutical action there is more money available for litigation and litigation is less likely to cease due to lack of funds.
Where do I find a Yaz lawyer?
Currently there are 8,000 individual cases pending in the United States against Bayer Pharmaceuticals and Yaz. These cases are set to be tried in both federal and state courts throughout the nation. All of these cases have recently been consolidated into MDLs, or Multi-District Litigation. Multi-District Litigation is when an MDL panel reviews your case to see if it should be consolidated with a number of other pending cases. The goal of Multi-District Litigation is to streamline the litigation process and create judicial efficiency.
MDLs have the benefit of making litigation faster and less costly by negating the use of double discovery and creating one judicial trial instead of thousands of similar ones. Your case may be filed into an MDL by your request or it may be placed into a current MDL through judicial action. You should discuss whether or not to get involved in an MDL with your Yaz lawyer.
The MDL in the Federal court system is taking place in the U.S. District Court for the Southern DIstrict of Illinois. The State court system has consolidated their cases into MDLs as well. In New Jersey the Yaz MDL is taking place in the Bergen Superior Court and the action in Pennsylvania is in Philadelphia Superior Court. Your Yaz lawyer will be able to help you decide whether you should file in an MDL. Yaz lawyers will also aid you in filing with the court for inclusion in an MDL and will know where to do so.
Because these actions are in both Federal and State courts you may have the option of filing your claim in either one. Your Yaz lawyer will know which court system will best benefit your case. There are many different procedural rules associated with litigation in federal court, as opposed to state court, which can seriously affect the outcome of litigation. Yaz lawyers, and class action lawyers in general, will know which system is best for your case.
When looking for a Yaz lawyer you should contact the federal or state court where you are looking to file and seek information on how to contact the Yaz lawyers handling the MDLs in those cases. If you wish to litigate as an individual you can take advantage of the “find a lawyer” link on the top of this page to seek experienced and knowledgeable Yaz lawyers who can help you decide what action to take.
Experience & Qualifications
Your Yaz lawyer should be experienced in litigating actions against pharmaceutical companies. In addition you need to find a Yaz lawyer who is barred in either the state where you will be litigating or barred by the federal court where the action will be commenced. You should also be represented by a large firm that specializes in class action lawsuits. You will prefer to have a team of yaz lawyers working on your case. The more damages you can seek for your injury the more likely you will have a greater team of Yaz lawyers representing you in your lawsuit.
Fees & Rates
The rates that are associated with Yaz lawyers is on a contingency basis. This means that a Yaz lawyer will not charge you a flat fee, retainer, or hourly rate to litigate your claim. The Yaz lawyer, will instead, take a percentage of any award that you receive from an award or settlement, this is often 30% of the award however some courts limit the amount that a Yaz lawyer can receive from their representation.
