All Yasmin, Yaz and Ocella lawsuits filed in New Jersey state courts have been consolidated as a mass tort. These Yaz and Yasmin lawsuits will now be centralized under one judge for coordinated handling of the cases.
On February 18th, New Jersey’s Administrative Office of the Courts ordered that all Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella litigation in the state be assigned to Judge Brian R. Martinotti. Judge Martinotti presides over Bergen County Superior Court. All case management and trial issues in pending and future Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella lawsuits will now be overseen by Judge Martinotti.
The consolidation was requested by Judge Donald Volkert jr., who sits in Passaic County where more than a dozen Yasmin and Yaz lawsuits are pending.
The purpose of consolidating the Yaz lawsuits and Yasmin lawsuits as a mass tort is to avoid duplication and prevent conflicting rulings that may arise if the numerous cases are tried throughout the state.
Note, however, that the cases will remain individual actions and have not been consolidated. Moreover, Judge Martinotti has the discretion to send the cases back to the original county where they were filed for either resolution or trial.
This latest mass tort designation is not the first time that Yaz and Yasmin lawsuits have been consolidated. In October of 2009, all currently pending Yasmin and Yaz lawsuits in federal courts were consolidated for coordinated and centralized pre-trial proceedings. Those proceedings will be overseen by Judge David R. Herndon of the District Court for the Southern District of Illinois.
Also, all pending Yasmin and Yaz lawsuits in Pennsylvania state courts were consolidated last September.
In general, the Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella lawsuits center on the increased risk of heart attack, heart arrhythmias, blood clots, stroke, embolisms and gall bladder disease presented by the birth control pills.
Additionally, these birth control pills may cause a dangerous increase in a woman’s level of potassium, leading to a condition called hyperkalemia. Hyperkalemia can result in serious health problems.
For more on the recent New Jersey mass tort designation of Yasmin, Yaz and Ocella lawsuits, click here for the complete article.