Nevada Actos Product Liability Lawsuit Moves Forward
In 2013, two Nevada residents filed product liability lawsuits against Takeda Pharmaceuticals because they took Actos to treat their Type 2 diabetes, and then developed bladder cancer. In March of this year, their two lawsuits were consolidated into one in a court in Las Vegas, and their attorney said he will seek the largest amount of punitive damages in Nevada’s history – $1 billion.
On Tuesday, April 15th, one of the two plaintiffs testified about her Actos-related injuries in court.
Dolores Cipriano, 81, testified that she had diabetes for 20 years, and used Actos for at least a year to treat her condition. In July 2012, she was diagnosed with bladder cancer.
Her co-defendant is 80-year-old Bertha Triana. She testified at the trial prior to Cipriano.
“I remember taking it over a year,” Cipriano told jurors. She said that Takeda failed to warn her or her doctors of the potential serious side effects from taking Actos. “If they did, I would have really paid attention,” she added.
However, court records show that Cipriano took Actos for 150 days – less than half a year – between August 2010 and July 2011.
Still, Cipriano saw blood in her urine one day and went to the doctor, who determined that she had bladder cancer.
“Due to Takeda Pharmaceutical’s conscious decision to keep this information from consumers and their doctors, we now have patients who are left to bear the permanent injury caused by Actos,” Cipriano’s lawyer, Robert Eglet, said in a statement seen by the newspaper. “That’s why we will be asking for over a billion-dollar punitive damage verdict.”
Takeda was also recently denied a mistrial in the Las Vegas Actos case, after the company filed, citing a recent article that stated that Las Vegas judges could be easily bribed, and therefore the company would not receive a fair trial.
Judge Kerry Early denied the mistrial request on April 9th.
Jury Says Takeda and Eli Lilly Must Pay $9 Billion for Actos Bladder Cancer
The Louisiana jury for the Actos multidistrict litigation (MDL) found Takeda and US distributor Eli Lilly guilty on April 8th, and ordered Takeda to pay $6 billion in damages, while Indianapolis-based Lilly must pay $3 billion.
“I hope Takeda executives in Japan heard what this jury had to say loudly and clearly,” Mark Lanier, a lawyer for former Actos user and first bellwether case Terrence Allen, said after the verdict.
Allen, the first bellwether case in the Actos multidistrict litigation, was awarded $1.3 million in compensatory damages out of the $9 billion. More than 2,700 personal injury suits linking Actos use to bladder cancer have been consolidated in the MDL.
The Strom Law Firm Can Help with Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Cases, Including Against Actos
If you or a loved one have taken Actos to treat Type 2 diabetes, and have since suffered dangerous side effects including developing bladder cancer, heart disease, liver failure, or diabetic macular edema, you may be entitled to compensation. The attorneys at the Strom Law Firm can help with personal injury cases, including against Actos manufacturer Takeda Pharmaceuticals. We offer free, confidential consultations to discuss the facts of your case, so do not hesitate to contact us. 803.252.4800