Health & Medicine
Patient Blames Birth Control Pill, Yasmin, for Stroke: Wins $14 Million in Court
Thomas Carannante
First Posted: Apr 21, 2014 02:09 PM EDT
Mariola Zapalski, a 37-year-old woman from Elmwood Park, Illinois, was awarded $14 million after a two-week trial in Cook County. The doctor prescribed her the birth control drug, Yasmin, in 2007 and Zapalski suffered a stroke just 13 days after taking it.
Zapalski is paralyzed on her left side and suffered from permanent brain injury as a result of the stroke, which she attributed to the birth control prescribed by her doctor, Zbigniew Aniol. The drug's manufacturer, Bayer, has faced lawsuits in the past regarding Yasmin's side effects. Women have complained of blood clots that led to serious health consequences.
The drug's website warns of these serious side effects (which the FDA changed last year) and states: "YASMIN increases the risk of serious conditions, including blood clots, stroke, and heart attack." It also notes, "Do not use Yasmin if you smoke and are over the age of 35. Smoking increases your risk of serious side effects from the Pill." News reports thus far have not mentioned whether or not Zapalski smokes or not.
"Under the circumstances for this patient, Yasmin was a dangerous drug for her and it was an inappropriate choice because of Mariola Zapalski's underlying risk factors," said Bradley Cosgrove, Clifford Law Office, in this ABC Local News article.
Mrs. Zapalski and her husband also won a settlement of $2.5 million with Resurrection Medical Center - the hospital that referred her to Dr. Aniol. But even after $16.5 million later, the Zapalski's are still suffering through Mariola's current condition. Her husband has been unable to work ever since Mariola's stroke because she requires care 24/7. The two hope that their victory will be one for patients' rights, as well.
Despite this lawsuit and others claiming that Yasmin is linked to blood clots, Bayer insists that the drug is safe if used properly. In this case, the blame was specifically put on the prescribing doctor who, according to the prosecuting lawyers, could have prescribed a progesterone-only pill for Zapalski's irregular bleeding condition.
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First Posted: Apr 21, 2014 02:09 PM EDT
Mariola Zapalski, a 37-year-old woman from Elmwood Park, Illinois, was awarded $14 million after a two-week trial in Cook County. The doctor prescribed her the birth control drug, Yasmin, in 2007 and Zapalski suffered a stroke just 13 days after taking it.
Zapalski is paralyzed on her left side and suffered from permanent brain injury as a result of the stroke, which she attributed to the birth control prescribed by her doctor, Zbigniew Aniol. The drug's manufacturer, Bayer, has faced lawsuits in the past regarding Yasmin's side effects. Women have complained of blood clots that led to serious health consequences.
The drug's website warns of these serious side effects (which the FDA changed last year) and states: "YASMIN increases the risk of serious conditions, including blood clots, stroke, and heart attack." It also notes, "Do not use Yasmin if you smoke and are over the age of 35. Smoking increases your risk of serious side effects from the Pill." News reports thus far have not mentioned whether or not Zapalski smokes or not.
"Under the circumstances for this patient, Yasmin was a dangerous drug for her and it was an inappropriate choice because of Mariola Zapalski's underlying risk factors," said Bradley Cosgrove, Clifford Law Office, in this ABC Local News article.
Mrs. Zapalski and her husband also won a settlement of $2.5 million with Resurrection Medical Center - the hospital that referred her to Dr. Aniol. But even after $16.5 million later, the Zapalski's are still suffering through Mariola's current condition. Her husband has been unable to work ever since Mariola's stroke because she requires care 24/7. The two hope that their victory will be one for patients' rights, as well.
Despite this lawsuit and others claiming that Yasmin is linked to blood clots, Bayer insists that the drug is safe if used properly. In this case, the blame was specifically put on the prescribing doctor who, according to the prosecuting lawyers, could have prescribed a progesterone-only pill for Zapalski's irregular bleeding condition.
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone