Depo-Provera is a popular birth control that is injected into a patient on a regular schedule to prevent a pregnancy. Typically, women using this form of birth control need an injection every twelve weeks. While its effectiveness is not in question, medical research has shown that the injection causes brain tumors in people who use it. The tumors later develop into meningioma brain tumors, a severe cancer with life-changing effects.
The problem is that the manufacturer failed to inform consumers of the risks of cancer associated with depo-provera. This allows the affected to file lawsuits against the manufacturer for compensation for their resulting damages.
However, you need adequate information about the medical research conducted on depo-provera, symptoms to look out for, and the legal processes to follow when filing a lawsuit for compensation if you or someone you love has been affected. A skilled mass tort attorney can offer the assistance you need to file a successful lawsuit and recover your damages.
Depo-Provera Lawsuits Latest Updates
If you have used depo-provera for months or years and have experienced cancer-related symptoms or have been diagnosed with a meningioma tumor, you deserve compensation. Knowing the exact cause of your illness could have been challenging until other users complained of the same symptoms. Similar complaints from different users of depo-provera could have necessitated medical research to determine the exact cause of the brain tumors that most depo-provera users complained of. The results from the medical research provide the same supporting information you need to pursue compensation.
Thus, the updates on what is happening and how many people are filing lawsuits against depo-provera manufacturers are essential. Updates will help you figure out your position in the legal processes and how strong your case is.
Inefficient Warning by Pfizer
When manufacturers produce drugs with potential side effects, they are legally required to provide detailed warnings to ensure consumers understand what to expect before purchasing the products. Pfizer failed to provide adequate warnings about possible side effects for those consuming Depo-Provera. After being called out for failing to provide proper warnings, Pfizer implemented changes in its products' labels in some regions, like the United Kingdom and the EU, but not all areas where Depo-Provera consumers are.
Even the manufacturer's special warnings on the EU product label did not provide exact details about the risk of cancer that Depo-Provera users face. For example, it only warned of possible meningioma that has been reported after long-term use of progesterones like medroxyprogesterone acetate. The warning advised users to discontinue birth control if they are diagnosed with a meningioma. It also cautioned healthcare professionals against recommending a Depo-Provera injection to patients who have been diagnosed with meningioma in the past.
The problem with this warning is that it was not done everywhere Depo-Provera users are. It leaves some consumers at a greater risk of meningioma tumors due to a lack of adequate information to make an informed decision. Additionally, the words the manufacturers used in the warning fail to address the severe risks associated with using birth control. The label only cautions users of potential side effects without providing details of the life-changing effects of a brain tumor for consumers and their loved ones. The manufacturer also failed to include that using Depo-Provera increases your risk of brain cancer, even if you do not have a history of meningioma.
Manufacturers also advised users to discontinue the use of Depo-Provera after a meningioma diagnosis without talking about the irreversible damage the tumors caused by the time they are diagnosed.
Plaintiff attorneys are advocating for a stronger warning from the manufacturer for Depo Provera users. This will enable users to make informed decisions when choosing a contraceptive. The warning should be available everywhere Depo-Provera users are. If a side-effects warning about a particular product does not provide detailed information about the possible side effects, it should be considered no warning.
Design Defect Claims About Depo-Provera
The main issue with Depo-Provera manufacturers is their failure to caution consumers of possible risks of meningioma tumors. However, other problems have arisen, including the product’s design defect. People have started bringing lawsuits against the manufacturer, seeking compensation. The design defect claims assert that the product was dangerous because of its design, making it generally unsafe for consumption regardless of the manufacturer's care exercised during product manufacture. In this lawsuit, consumers claim that the product’s design, especially the high progestin dosage, was hazardous. It puts consumers at risk of developing severe health problems, including intracranial meningioma.
However, it should be noted that Pfizer has made the drug a lot safer in its latest productions. For example, DEpo-SubQ Provera 104 has reduced dosages of the harmful progestin. It can also be used subcutaneously to lower this risk further. The problem is that the company marketed the dangerous product more than it did the safer, latest version of the drug. It also failed to warn consumers and the healthcare community about the initial product’s potential risks.
The central claim is that Pfizer should have promoted safer options or changed the original product’s design to reduce the risks. Some lawyers can argue that the company avoided marketing its safer version to maintain its clientele and not fully reveal the safety issues. Thus, those filing a strict liability claim against the company can easily prove that it was liable for the damage that Depo-Provera caused due to the intrinsic risks of its design.
The strict liability claim about the product’s design defect is slowly becoming popular and highly compelling. This is because the supposedly safer product was also manufactured by the company that made the initial dangerous product. Naturally, this claim would be complex if plaintiffs and medical experts compare products from various manufacturers. However, this case could be less challenging since the products being compared are from the same manufacturer. If the company changed its production to make a less-risk product and did not warn consumers of its initial product’s risk, your chances of filing a successful claim are high.
When To Join a Class Action
Instead of filing a lawsuit independently against Pfitzer for the grave effects of Depo-Provera, you can join a class action. Class actions work when several people have been affected by the same products and seek compensation as a group rather than an individual. If the number of plaintiffs is large, you can join a smaller number of plaintiffs as a part of the larger group from different regions. The one you enter depends on where you live.
Class actions ensure plaintiffs understand their liabilities and rights as a group rather than individuals. Instead of filing several independent lawsuits against the same company for the same types of damages, mass tort attorneys encourage plaintiffs to join class actions for collective benefits.
A class action is under serious consideration due to the increasing number of plaintiffs in various parts of the country. However, mass tort attorneys have yet to file one due to insufficient active claims. Attorneys hope more plaintiffs will want to join a class action once they have solid information about Depo-Provera lawsuits and the benefits of filing a class action lawsuit.
Currently, only three plaintiffs have filed their lawsuits in a federal court. Mass tort attorneys want to establish multidistrict litigation to unite plaintiffs in particular regions. However, they must wait until there is a numerosity, a specific critical mass, or similar civil suits in various parts of the country. There is hope that more plaintiffs will eventually appear, considering the number of Depo-Provera users Pfitzer has registered over the years. As you prepare your lawsuit, talk to your attorney about a mass action lawsuit near your location so you can join.
How Depo-Provera Causes Meningioma
Researchers have associated Depo-Provera’s risk of meningioma tumors with its high content of synthetic progestin. This synthetic progestin mimics the effects of progesterone, a hormone that prohibits ovulation and is, hence, a vital component in all contraceptives. Meningioma tumors express hormone receptors, particularly estrogen and progesterone. The receptors accelerate the growth of tumors when they become exposed to the right hormones. Thus, prolonged exposure of the receptors to higher levels of progesterone in Depo-Provera will likely overstimulate them, resulting in a massive growth of meningiomas.
When it comes to hormonal stimulation, a higher dosage of progesterone in Depo-Provera or continued use of the drug causes overstimulation. Thus, your risk of developing these tumors is higher with every high dose of the medication you receive. This means that people who have consumed the drug more than once are at a higher risk of brain tumors than those who have consumed it once.
Prolonged exposure to the synthetic progestin does not just affect your brain but also other hormone-sensitive areas in your body, including your breasts and uterus. This means that continuous use of Depo-Provera increases your risk of different cancers, like uterine and breast cancer.
If you have been diagnosed with meningiomas and doctors can link your tumors to exposure to the harmful progestin, you are eligible for compensation from Depo-Provera manufacturers. Fortunately, you will not be tasked with explaining how the drug causes meningiomas. Your attorney only needs to demonstrate that it does and is responsible for your medical condition to win your case.
Remember that the use of Depo-Provera also puts your other hormone-sensitive body parts at risk of cancer. Scientists argue that most cancer-causing chemicals or drugs cause more than one form of cancer. This means that the drug can cause more than one form of cancer in your body. Thus, if you have been diagnosed with meningiomas and another type of cancer, like breast cancer, it could be because you have used Depo-Provera for more than a year. Most people who have been diagnosed with breast cancer learn about the disease years after they stopped using it.
Thus, do not be surprised if you learn about cancers other than brain cancer. How long you use the drug does not matter as long as your medics can prove that the presence of the synthetic progestin in your system increases your risk of cancer.
The Number of Plaintiffs is High Across the Country
Many people take their time to come out after incurring damages due to a faulty product because of the fear of fighting alone. This could explain the slow manner in which plaintiffs have filed their cases against Pfitzer. It is comforting to know that Depo-Provera users are many nationwide and beyond. Thus, you are not alone in this. Once other users learn that they are not the only ones suffering the grave effects of a faulty drug, more and more people will be willing and ready to bring their lawsuits.
The truth is that mass tort attorneys handling Depo-Provera cases are surprised every day at the increasing numbers of Depo-Provera users who come out after learning about the drug’s adverse effects. Surprisingly, a good percentage of sexually active women in the U.S. have used the drug between 2015 and 2020. Some have already received their diagnosis, and others are yet to learn about the drug’s risk of brain cancer. Attorneys are hopeful that more women will be willing to file lawsuits against the company once they know about their damages.
The Dangerous Benign Tumors
Benign meningiomas are pretty dangerous. Although they do not pose an immediate risk, they put your entire well-being at risk. If doctors have diagnosed you with a benign meningioma, it does not mean that your situation is less dangerous than a person with an active brain tumor. You live with the fear that the inactive tumor can develop into something more hazardous without prior warning. This is more stressful than knowing that you are dealing with a dangerous tumor from the beginning. Benign tumors are like ticking time bombs. Just because they are not causing you harm does not imply they will remain inactive forever.
Mass tort attorneys understand how dangerous benign meningiomas are. They grow quietly in the brain and will eventually exert pressure on critical parts of your brain, causing vision loss, cognitive impairments, and sometimes triggering seizures. You can undergo surgery to remove a benign tumor. However, a successful removal of the meningioma does not reverse the damage it has caused in your brain. For example, you could continue having chronic headaches and sometimes emotional challenges, necessitating lifelong medications.
Additionally, recovering from brain surgery takes a long time. You will need to set aside months to recover, which means you will not be working or caring for your family during your recovery. You will also require continuous monitoring by your doctors to ensure the meningioma does not redevelop. This is why mass tort attorneys are taking up cases, whether you are diagnosed with a benign meningioma or a more dangerous tumor. The argument is that all brain tumors cause irreversible damage to the brain, which necessitates compensation even after a successful treatment.
Mass tort attorneys also want to hold negligent pharmaceutical companies responsible for resulting damages, especially when they fail to warn their consumers of possible risks associated with using their products.
Determining Eligibility for Compensation Through Depo-Provera Lawsuits
Lawyers involved in Depo-Provera lawsuits are still considering the eligibility criteria. The main issue is the number of Depo-Provera injections needed to form a valid causal relationship. Researchers have pointed to a dosage-response connection whereby a person’s risk of meningioma tumors increases with the number of treatments they receive. However, lawyers have not established the precise threshold for the increased risk.
However, medical experts argue that people’s bodies do not always react similarly in similar conditions. This means a person’s risk can increase with a lower dosage than another person’s. With this in mind, some mass tort lawyers have set their qualifying criteria to at least two injections. This should allow more plaintiffs to pursue justice. It also means that if you have been diagnosed with meningiomas or other related tumors and only took two or more Depo-Provera injections, you have an equal chance to fight for compensation as a person who has been using the contraceptive for years.
Lawyers are encouraging affected women to take quick initiative before the deadline to file a lawsuit like this, according to the statute of limitations. Remember that the statute of limitations starts when you discover that you have been affected by a particular faulty product. A skilled mass tort attorney should be able to help you through the process.
Find a Competent Mass Tort Attorney Near Me
Depo-Provera has been on the rise among women within the childbearing age range in recent years. Sadly, the contraceptive has been linked to the development of meningioma tumors, which later result in brain cancer. It is believed that so many women have been affected. If you have, you can partner with a skilled mass tort attorney near your location for advice, education, and assistance in filing a lawsuit against the responsible company.
We are helping women through all legal processes involved in Consumer Alert Now. We have the information you need to understand your situation and options and make an informed decision. Call us at 800-511-0747 from anywhere in the United States to learn more.
