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Lipitor Diabetes Lawsuit: Plaintiffs Seek MDL as New Lawsuits Continue To Mount
Lipitor diabetes lawsuits against Pfizer continue to mount with an increasing number of women filing product liability litigations claiming to have developed Type 2 diabetes after having been treated with its cholesterol-lowering drug. According to a Lipitor lawsuit filed in a West Virginia north federal court on October 28, the plaintiff, a resident of Martinsburg, developed Type 2 diabetes within four years of using Lipitor.
Charlotte T. Kearnes began taking Lipitor in 2005 unaware of the fact that she would develop Type 2 diabetes and face a greater risk of heart attack, a key concern that made her to go for the cholesterol-lowering drug. In 2009, doctors diagnosed Charlotte with Type 2 diabetes. She now faces the prospect of undergoing regular blood sugar test, restricted diet, neuropathy, and higher risk of heart problems. The plaintiff was already suffering from vision problems that forced her to undergo cataract surgery. Charlotte’s lawsuit claims that she had no such problems prior using Lipitor to lower her bad cholesterol level.
The Lipitor lawsuit was preceded by 40 similar litigations filed in a McDowell County court. The list of plaintiffs included four from New York, 10 from West Virginia, and 26 from Texas. All but four Lipitor lawsuits by plaintiffs from New York have been moved to a West Virginia south federal court in Bluefield.
Plaintiff Seeks MDL for Lipitor Diabetes Lawsuits
Two plaintiffs have requested the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation separately, calling for centralization of all Lipitor diabetes lawsuits filed across the federal system. The first one filed on October 10, 2013, seeks centralization in the court of South Carolina federal Judge Richard M. Gergel. According to the petition, Lipitor diabetes lawsuits have been mounting and that centralization of all litigations alleging diabetes caused by Lipitor side effects is essential to avoid duplicative discovery and conflicting rulings by courts. The petition lists 62 Lipitor lawsuits filed by 131 plaintiffs in 21 federal courts.
In July, the MDL panel rejected such a request citing insufficient number of litigations. At that time, there were only 24 Lipitor diabetes lawsuits pending for trial in 10 states.
The second petition for MDL centralization was filed on October 29, 2013. The motion advocates that over 70 new Lipitor diabetes lawsuits filed in the preceding two weeks and thousands such litigations are expected. MDL consolidation and centralization is the only way to ensure convenience to parties and the courts.
Lipitor Diabetes Lawsuits
Pfizer introduced Lipitor in 2007 with the claim that the medication was safe and reduced the risk of heart disease associated with bad cholesterol. However, in 2011, a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association expressed concern over the potential link between Lipitor and type 2 diabetes in women. The FDA ordered label changes on Lipitor in 2012 highlighting the risk. It prompted a smaller number of litigations claiming product liability against Pfizer.
In May 2013, the British Medical Journal reported a study claiming that Lipitor put female users at 22 percent higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes when compared to other statin-class cholesterol-lowering medications. This has resulted in a surge in Lipitor lawsuits, and new lawsuits continue to be filed every week.
Lipitor, due to its diabetes side effects, puts women at a higher risk of cardiovascular problems, the condition that forces users to buy the cholesterol-lowering drugs. The diabetes side effects of the drug may also lead to kidney damage, vision problems, nerve damage, skin disorder, and Alzheimer’s in the long run, impacting the health and life of users.
About Us, Helping You
Our attorneys are currently reviewing any potential case involving someone that ingested Lipitor and have sustained a Lipitor injury and been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. Our team of attorneys will review your potential case and provide a free case evaluation. We also handle Lipitor cases on a contingency fee, meaning there is no attorney’s fee unless we recover monies via a settlement or judgment. We also front all litigation expenses.
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