Elmiron (pentosan polysulfate sodium) is a drug that was until recently widely used to treat various bladder conditions, including interstitial cystitis, osteoarthritis, and possible prion disease.
It is a semi-synthetic polysulfated xylan that works as a weak blood thinner and also as a bladder protectant used to treat bladder pain, interstitial cystitis (IC) and discomfort caused by cystitis (a type of bladder irritation or bladder inflammation).
Elmiron has been available to the public since 1996.
While Elmiron was used to treat bladder problems, it has been found that the drug has some severely negative side effects, namely eye damage and vision problems.
New research first shared with the general public in 2018 indicates that people who have taken Elmiron for 5 or more years are at significantly elevated risk for retinal damage and associated vision problems or loss of eyesight.
Additionally, Elmiron eye damage has been found to increase as the quantity of the drug in the system or dosage increases.
What’s more, thousands of patients of who took Elmiron for interstitial cystitis or IC were not warned of the risk of vision loss or Elmiron eye damage.
Now, patients and their families are suing Janssen (a subsidiary of Johnson and Johnson or J&J), the maker of Elmiron, for damages including pain and suffering and to recover costs incurred by the treatment of eye problems and eye damage caused by Elmiron.
Experienced Elmiron Lawyers Are Here To Help
If you have taken Elmiron and experienced negative side effects, then you should contact a personal injury lawyer near you to assess whether or not you are eligible to join in the Elmiron MDL lawsuit or if you otherwise have a case to sue the makers of Elmiron.
The Elmiron lawsuit team at Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys is standing by to consult with you and your family to determine if you are eligible to participate in the Elmiron lawsuits.
Contact us for a free consultation today.
Your Rights in the Elmiron Lawsuits
The Elmiron lawsuits are legal claims filed by individuals who took Elmiron and later developed maculopathy or other serious vision problems.
These lawsuits allege that Janssen (the creator of Elmiron) failed to properly warn doctors and consequently, their patients, that the potential side effects of Elmiron include eye problems and vision damage.
According to these claims, Elmiron is a dangerously defective drug and the maker of the drug withheld adverse event reports from the general public, the medical community, and the Federal Drug Administration (FDA).
By participating in the Elmiron class action lawsuits, plaintiffs are asking for compensation for current and future medical bills, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of quality of life.
Elmiron Eye Damage
While Elmiron is designed to treat symptoms of interstitial cystitis, taking this drug has also been shown to lead to vision problems which could result in blindness or maculopathy.
Taking Elmiron for a prolonged period may lead to permanent eye damage.
Researchers claim that the drug is toxic to the retina, resulting in blindness and related Elmiron eye problems.
The potential for blindness and other eye problems and eye damage associated with Elmiron was first reported by researchers in 2018 but the drug has been on the market since 1996.
Major Eye Problems Caused by Elmiron
Vision loss or blindness has been found to occur in approximately one quarter of patients who take the drug for an extended period of time (defined as 5 years or longer).
Degenerative maculopathy and unilateral or bilateral blindness are some of the major eye problems that may occur as the result of taking Elmiron.
Side Effects of Using Elmiron
While the full list of eye problems and other eye damage caused by Elmiron is still growing, blurred vision, halo vision, and other types of vision impairment or vision loss such as reduced night vision have result from using the drug.
Macular retinopathy, macular or pattern dystrophy, maculopathy, pigmentary maculopathy, or degenerative maculopathy, metamorphopsia, retinopathy, scotoma, and retinal pigment epithelium atrophy, and other disorders that lead to semipermanent or permanent unilateral or bilateral blindness have all been shown to have been caused by Elmiron usage.
Elmiron Recalls
If you have been taking Elmiron or were prescribed it in the past, it may be wise to see your doctor or medical professional immediately.
However, as of this writing, Elmiron has been not been recalled despite studies linking its long-term use to potentially permanent blindness or vision damage.
Why Are Elmiron Eye Damage Lawsuits Happening?
The Elmiron lawsuits are happening because it is alleged that Janssen Pharmaceuticals, the makers of Elmiron, knew about the risk of potential eye damage and failed to adequately warn the public.
Current Status of Elmiron MDL Lawsuit Cases in Late 2021
The first Elmiron lawsuits could go to trial as early as the beginning of 2023.
Thus far, there have been no jury verdicts or other settlements in the Elmiron MDL cases, and litigation is still in the early stages.
In December 2020, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation ordered that the Elmiron lawsuit cases around the United States be consolidated into one multidistrict litigation (MDL) case.
This case is being heard in a New Jersey court and there are currently approximately 500 claims pending, but this number is expected to increase with time as more potential plaintiffs arise.
What Is the Elmiron MDL?
Multidistrict litigation or MDL cases are a large group of lawsuits with similar or nearly identical claims.
MDLs are designed to make litigation more efficient and speed up the process while reducing the costs for plaintiffs, since with MDLs costs are shared across all claimants.
At the start of an MDL, plaintiffs and defendants’ lawyers agree on approximately five cases that will go to trial – these are referred to as bellwether trials and they serve as a starting point for future settlement negotiations in the other cases that make up the MDL.
MDL lawsuits differ from class action lawsuits in that each case in an MDL is treated as individual claims with unique settlement values.
Moreover, in an MDL each claimant selects their own lawyer.
Also, class action lawsuits typically seek reimbursement for a faulty product and don’t usually seek compensation for serious injuries or harms like cancer or reduced quality of life due to health condition such as blindness.
Reasons for An Elmiron Lawsuit
For years, people who suffer from bladder problems often have been prescribed Elmiron.
While the drug has been recalled and that there have been significant and dire warnings about the product and its links to blindness and related vision problems, that was not the case until recently and the eye damage may have already been done.
Because taking Elmiron with any kind of frequency can result in a build-up of the drug in one’s system and it has been linked to eye damage and vision problems, individuals who are suffering from those problems and their families may be eligible to recover damages from the drug’s manufacturer Janssen.
Do I Have an Elmiron Lawsuit Case?
You may be eligible to join in the Elmiron MDL lawsuit if you took Elmiron and later developed eye problems.
Therefore, if you or a family member has developed any of the following types of vision problems after regularly taking Elmiron, contact the personal injury team at Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys via this form for a free no-obligation consultation.
While the full list of eye problems and other eye damage caused by Elmiron is still growing, side effects of Elmiron include but are not limited to:
- Blurred vision
- Halo vision
- Vision impairment
- Vision loss
- Reduced night vision
- Macular retinopathy
- Macular or pattern dystrophy
- Maculopathy
- Pigmentary maculopathy
- Degenerative maculopathy
- Metamorphopsia
- Retinopathy
- Scotoma
- Retinal pigment epithelium atrophy
- Unilateral or bilateral blindness
How Do I Start the Elmiron Lawsuit Process?
If you took Elmiron for a prolonged period of time and have experienced vision problems, eye problems, or maculopathy, then you may have a cause of action to join in the Elmiron MDL case.
Because Elmiron was so widely prescribed and used and therefore the potential cases are spread across multiple districts and state lines, there has been an MDL or multi-district litigation process established to streamline or coordinate the pretrial motions and discovery proceedings that go into building a case.
The efficiency and economy of an MDL process allow all parties involved to save money and valuable time when it comes to getting results and recovering damages on the plaintiffs’ behalfs.
MDL or multidistrict litigation can also expedite the entire process of a lawsuit against the makers and distributors of Elmiron, primarily Janssen (Johnson & Johnson).
MDL lawsuits can still take weeks or months to deliver a result, but generally are quicker or speedier than individual lawsuits.
How Do I Find an Elmiron Lawsuit Attorney?
If you think you have a cause of action or a case for a lawsuit as part of the Elmiron litigation due to the fact that you or a family member or loved one has suffered from issues related to Elmiron (whether it was prescribed to you or them by a doctor or over the counter), then you should seek a personal injury lawyer who are handling Elmiron class action lawsuit cases.
Contact the product liability lawyers at Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys to learn more.
Types of Recovery in An Elmiron Class Action Lawsuit
Plaintiffs’ attorneys speculate that the Elmiron lawsuit cases may be worth up to $1,200,000 or more combined, but the MDL lawsuit is underway and no actual numbers or monetary amounts have been finalized as of this writing.
However, potential damages and recovery amounts are likely to be high.
Under United States and Illinois law, the plaintiff in a personal injury lawsuit can pursue compensation for losses including but not limited to…
- Current and future medical costs including but not limited to hospital visits, doctor’s appointments, medicine/drugs, and surgery costs, physical therapy, hospital and ambulance fees, and other related costs for medical care necessary to treat and recover from any illness or injuries related to the usage of Elmiron.
- Pain and suffering or the emotional distress and anguish that result from eye problems and eye damage from Elmiron, including the costs of mental health care through treatment and for post-traumatic stress disorder or similar conditions.
- Lost wages from missing work due to eye damage treatment and recovery, which can be one of the most financially devastating aspects of suffering from eye problems
- Loss of future income due to eye damage and recovery, including any physical or mental impairment that may have occurred as a direct result of the eye problems
- Loss of enjoyment of life due to eye damage resulting from Elmiron usage
- Punitive damages
Wrongful death lawsuits may also be connected to the Elmiron lawsuits if your loved one or family member passed away due to health issues connected to Elmiron usage.
If you believe that your family member passed away from a health problem related to taking Elmiron on a regular or long-term basis, contact the Chicago wrongful death attorneys at Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys as soon as possible for a free consultation.
Elmiron Lawsuit Settlements and Jury Trials
While an Elmiron lawsuit or any other kind of personal injury lawsuit case may be settled out of court for a monetary amount agreed upon by both the defendant and plaintiff and their lawyers, an Elmiron class action lawsuit case may go to trial if a satisfactory settlement cannot be reached.
With Elmiron lawsuits being so wide-reaching and part of an MDL suit, jury trials are to be expected.
Eimiron lawsuits and any sort of personal injury lawsuits go to trial due to a number of reasons.
For instance, if the negligent party or parties are solely at fault but their insurance won’t acknowledge the fault of the policyholder, the case may be taken to trial to enable a judge and jury to decide if damages should be awarded and in what amounts.
In the case of the Elmiron MDL lawsuit, all of the pretrial motions and discovery proceedings are consolidated into one court that covers all jurisdictions so damages will be awarded as per the result of that process.
What Do I Do During an Elmiron MDL Lawsuit
During the Elmiron lawsuit (or any other kind of lawsuit or legal action or mediation), you should only communicate with representatives or lawyers for the defendant via your own legal team.
It is essential that you do not have contact with the party or parties being sued for damages during your Elmiron lawsuit case and that all communication goes through your attorney.
All questions and concerns regarding your role, position, or status in the Elmiron lawsuit should be routed through your personal injury lawyer.
Our Elmiron Lawsuit Team Is Here to Help
At Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys, our first and foremost goal is to protect the rights of the injured.
If you or a loved one have been harmed or experienced health problems from taking Elmiron, or otherwise been in an accident or been the victim of negligence, you may have questions about personal injury lawsuits.
If you think you are legally entitled to compensation for your medical bills and pain and suffering, are wondering how to pursue a personal injury case, or whether you have a cause of action to file a legal claim against the person or persons who caused this harm, we can help you understand the associated laws and your options.
We know that any kind of illness can be a catastrophic and traumatic event that affects you, your family, and your career in many complicated and devastating ways.
Furthermore, the effects of having eye problems of any type can last for many years into the future, affecting your health, medical costs, current and future income, and even your family’s future if you lose earning capacity or the ability to care for yourself.
What’s more, if you’ve lost a loved one to an avoidable injury or illness or another kind of wrongful death, you deserve a settlement and to deal with the grieving process as best you can without the extra stress of dealing with insurance companies and other third parties.
All of the above reasons are why you should work with personal injury attorneys who are connected with the Elmiron MDL lawsuit and related litigation.
We can help you recover costs for pain and suffering, loss of earnings, loss of earning capacity, medical bills, disability, and emotional distress.
Have you or a loved one developed eye problems as a result of taking Elmiron and need a personal injury lawyer to help you sue for damages or join the MDL lawsuit against Janssen, the maker of Elmiron?
We welcome the opportunity to speak with you about your legal situation and your rights in the Elmiron class action lawsuit or related cases and help you determine the next steps.
Please contact Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys in Chicago, Wicker Park, Aurora, Joliet, Peoria, Rockford, or Wheaton, and schedule a free case review and confidential initial consultation by completing our short contact form.
We’ll schedule a time that is convenient for you and please note that you will not pay lawyer’s fees unless we recover compensation for you
