February 12, 2015 — A man who used Actos for three years before being diagnosed with bladder cancer has been awarded $2.3 million in compensation by a jury in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, according to Law360.
The lawsuit was filed in 2012 on behalf of John Kristufek, a retired high-school teacher who was diagnosed with bladder cancer in 2008. In 2011, he was diagnosed with cancer and had to have his bladder surgically removed.
The jury awarded him $318,000 in past medical expenses and $2 million in non-economic damages. The jury may also award punitive damages if they decide Takeda acted with extreme negligence.
The verdict is the latest in a string of losses for Takeda. Last October, another jury in Philadelphia awarded $2 million to a woman diagnosed with bladder cancer. Of the eight lawsuits to go to trial, six have ended with a jury awarding compensation, but two were successfully appealed.
Nearly 4,000 similar lawsuits are still pending in a federal court in Louisiana. One case went to trial in April 2014, ending in a record-setting $9 billion verdict in favor of a man with bladder cancer. The award was slashed to just $37 million under state law capping punitive damages.
All of the lawsuits accuse Takeda of negligence for failing to warn about bladder cancer and concealing evidence about the side effect. A major factor behind the massive jury awards was Takeda’s destruction of documents.
In 2011, the FDA issued a Safety Warning citing a 40% increased risk of bladder cancer when high-dose Actos was taken for at least one year.
Do I have an Actos Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Actos induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been diagnosed with bladder cancer, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Defective Drug Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
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