Patients who are taking the blood thinner Pradaxa should be aware of a potential risk of serious side effects. Bleeding, including fatal or life-threatening bleeding. A new study warns of the potential risks of switching to Pradaxa, and court records in the United States show an increase in lawsuits from patients alleging problems with bleeding. If you have suffered injury from this prescription blood thinner, you should consult a pharmaceutical lawsuit lawyer who has experience handling this type of claim. These lawyers can review your case and help you determine whether you have a valid claim and the best course of action. Launched in 2010, Pradaxa was designed to help prevent strokes for patients who have atrial fibrillation by decreasing the risk of blood clots. Experts have been unable to agree about whether it puts the patient at a higher risk of internal bleeding. The FDA has determined that Pradaxa is not any more dangerous than traditional blood thinners like warfarin. However, other studies warn that patients who experience bleeding problems with Pradaxa are five times more likely to than patients who experience bleed with warfarin. Pradaxa has been named one of the most dangerous drugs available, and it has received the most complaints of any drug in recent years. More Pradaxa complaints were filed with the FDA in both 2011 and 2012 than any other prescription drug. Since it received FDA approval in 2010, Pradaxa has been accused of causing more than 1,100 deaths and 12,500 serious injuries in the United States. This is according to the Institute for Safe Medication Practices, which is a non-profit group that monitors FDA complaints. A study by the University of Illinois suggests that the FDA's data may be flawed, with the risks of Pradaxa bleeding being far higher than the FDA indicates. Another recent study from Denmark indicates that many patients might be taking Pradaxa incorrectly, and it also indicates the risks of internal bleeding are higher in patients who have switched from another anticoagulant. A large and growing number of Pradaxa patients have filed a lawsuit regarding these internal bleeding problems, leading the cases to be consolidated to a federal court in Illinois. More than 1,000 patients have filed lawsuits against Pradaxa. As a result of the Illinois class action lawsuit, documents have been released indicating that Pradaxa's manufacturer, Boehringer Ingelheim, was aware some patients could experience a higher risk of bleeding. These documents also indicate that the German company knew that regular blood tests could help patients manage this risk. However, an internal email from a company supervisor expressed concern that recommending this monitoring would hurt sales. The company did not publicize their finding about the monitoring, and the FDA approved Pradaxa without requiring additional blood monitoring. These documents indicate the company knew the drug had some preventable risks and chose not to make the drug safer by requiring monitoring, potentially causing avoidable deaths and serious injuries. More than 2,300 former Pradaxa patients have filed lawsuits against Boehringer Ingelheim for neglecting to warn them of the risk and the need for regular blood monitoring. Anyone who has experienced internal bleeding problems after taking Pradaxa should consult a lawyer about legal options. Due to the specialized nature of handling pharmaceutical lawsuits in federal court, a class action lawsuit lawyer who has previously handled Pradaxa lawsuits will be better positioned to handle these complex cases. An injury from prescription drugs lawyer specialist will be happy to discuss your case and any options you may have. They protect the rights of individuals who have suffered from the tragic affects of prescription drugs.