What's a gallbladder worth? This is the question that I've heard over and over and over again as it relates to the Yas, Yasmin and Ocella settlement discussions currently taking place across the country. Bayer (the maker of Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella) says a gallbladder is worth zero, nothing, nada, zip. Bayer says that the woman who lost their gallbladders were fat, out of shape, old, and generally unhealthy. Bayer says that they are not responsible for gallbladder losses because there are no epidemiological studies showing an increased risk of gallbladder disease in Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella users.
What do I say? Bring it on. A gallbladder removal is a very serious injury. I represent teenagers, as well as middle-aged women, in the Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella litigation. They aren't all fat or old or out of shape. Indeed, there are thousands of young woman (pretty, thin, and in shape) who have lost their gallbladders. These women had no prior health history that would suggest gallbladder disease. These women never knew that they were at risk. The women never knew that a Canadian Medical Association published a study that found that there was a "statistically significant" increase in gallbladder disease for Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella users when compared to other oral contraceptives.
So what's it worth? I'm an experienced trial lawyer. I can try these cases. I can't imagine that a jury would not award six figure verdicts. So when Bayer comes knocking at my door, they better be ready to negotiate reasonable settlements. If not, I'll go to court and try my cases on behalf of my gallbladder clients. We don't plan on letting them get away with endangering our daughters, moms, aunts, and nieces who have used Yas, Yasmin and Ocella.
