Bayer claims it will "defend itself vigorously" in these suits. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has confirmed numerous reports of adverse side effects relating to the drug, including several deaths. The estimate at the present time is that Yaz and Yasmin have been linked to approximately 50 deaths filed with the FDA.

Our firm is helping women who have experienced adverse side effects from Yaz and/or Yasmin, including stroke, heart attack, pulmonary embolism, complete kidney failure, blood clots and gallbladder disease. The vast majority of our clients were otherwise healthy prior to taking Yaz or Yasmin, and those who had taken other oral contraceptives previously had never had such adverse side effects.

Yaz and Yasmin Lawsuits: What are these cases about and will my doctor be sued? First and foremost, it is important to note that the doctors who prescribed Yaz, Yasmin or Ocella are not being named as defendants in these cases and no type of medical malpractice lawsuits are being filed against them just for prescribing these birth control pills. Why? Because the prescribing doctors did not know the risks of these drugs when they prescribed them.

There is nothing on the labels of Yaz, Yasmin or Ocella alerting doctors that these "fourth generation" birth control pills pose twice the risk of blood clotting as their "second generation" counterparts, and there is no indication that women or their doctors were aware that the "second generation" alternatives were much safer.

Therefore, these lawsuits are being targeted at the manufacturers of the birth control pills, Bayer. Manufacturers of prescription drugs have a duty to patients to produce safe products, and to warn patients and their doctors of any adverse health effects. As a result, these lawsuits allege that the drug company inadequately alerted doctors and their patients of the increased risks for adverse side effects associated with Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella. Independent studies are beginning to surface, which document this increased risk, including publications in the British Medical Journal, which reported that the Dutch College of General Practitioners recommended that its members prescribe the "second generation" birth control pills instead of Yaz, Yasmin or Ocella.

Additionally, these lawsuits claim that Bayer induced consumers to use Yaz and Yasmin through a misleading direct-to-consumer advertising campaign, which the FDA has since required Bayer to spend $20 million to correct the misleading information given in these ads. Essentially, Bayer marketed Yaz and Yasmin for off-label uses that were never approved by the FDA and mislead women and doctors regarding the dangerous side effects of these pills.