Another bellwhether trial has come to an end and it resulted in a defense verdict. Clifford Straka was 72 when he was prescribed levaquin to treat a flare up of asthma when 10 days later he was diagnosed with achilles tendonitis and eventually bilateral achilles tendon ruptures. He was prescribed prednisone as well.
The jury found that the defendants had not failed to adequately warn the plaintiff's doctor of the risks of tendon ruptures. The plaintiff's doctor, Dr. Katayoun Baniriah, testified that she had never read the warnings in the levaquin label about Achilles tendon ruptures.
So far there have been four bellwether trials in the levaquin litigation between both the federal multi district litigation and the state consolidated litigation in New Jersey. There have been three defense veridicts and one plaintiff verdict.
