When will the Taxotere Lawsuit Be Settled for Eye Injuries?

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Jessie Paluch

Attorney Jessie Paluch, founder of TruLaw, has over 25 years of experience as a personal injury and mass tort attorney, and previously worked as an international tax attorney at Deloitte. Jessie collaborates with attorneys nationwide — enabling her to share reliable, up-to-date legal information with our readers.

This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy and clarity by the team of writers and legal experts at TruLawsuit Info and is as accurate as possible. This content should not be taken as legal advice from an attorney. If you would like to learn more about our owner and experienced injury lawyer, Jessie Paluch, you can do so here.

TruLawsuit Info does everything possible to make sure the information in this article is up to date and accurate. If you need specific legal advice about your case, contact our team by using the chat on the bottom of this page. This article should not be taken as advice from an attorney.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Taxotere lawsuits, centered around eye injuries caused by the drug, are still in the pre-trial phase with no settlement date.
  • Patients experiencing severe side effects from Taxotere, including permanent hair loss and eye issues, initiated the lawsuits.
  • Despite legal challenges, Taxotere remains a popular chemotherapy drug due to its effectiveness against cancer cells.

Taxotere Lawsuit Settlement Timeframe

Question: When will the Taxotere Lawsuit be settled?

Answer: As of writing, the Taxotere lawsuits are still pending and are in the pre-trial phase.

Judge Jane Triche Milazzo issued a pre-trial order for the Taxotere eye injury MDL in February 2023.

The length of the pre-trial phase can vary greatly from lawsuit to lawsuit, ranging anywhere from several months to a few years.

Intro to the Taxotere Eye Injury Lawsuits

In this article, we’ll provide you with the details on how the Taxotere Lawsuits started, explain the numerous side-effects Taxotere has on the body, as well as the current timeline and process to file a Taxotere Lawsuit, and much more.

Suffering from a disease like lung or breast cancer is an agonizing experience.

Unfortunately, even the treatments you receive to kill off cancer cells can, in turn, cause other complications that make daily life difficult.

One of these treatments is docetaxel, better known under the brand name Taxotere.

Taxotere is a breast cancer chemotherapy drug, one of the most widely used drugs to kill and prevent cancer cells from multiplying.

when will the taxotere lawsuit be settled

However, many people have reported severe side effects from the medication, such as permanent hair loss and eye issues.

These victims have filed Taxotere lawsuits to get compensation for the damages they suffered.

What is the current status of these cases? When will the Taxotere lawsuits be settled?

Tru Lawsuit Info shares what you need to know about the cases and what to expect in the coming months.

Keep reading to learn more.

If you believe you have a case, please contact us for a free case evaluation.

We can connect you with a trusted law firm so you can file a case and join the Taxotere lawsuits.

Table of Contents

How the Taxotere Lawsuits Started

Taxotere has been approved for use by the FDA since 1996, prescribed primarily as a chemotherapy drug.

The manufacturer, Sanofi-Aventis, initially intended for Taxotere to be used as a treatment for breast cancer.

However, it’s been also used for treating lung cancer, prostate cancer, stomach cancer, and others.

Thanks to how effective it was, Taxotere became one of the go-to chemotherapy drugs for breast cancer treatment.

Even today, the medication remains the drug of choice for millions of breast cancer patients.

However, due to how the drug works against cells in the body, Taxotere has many severe side effects.

Those who have received the treatment have experienced permanent alopecia as well as vision issues.

While the FDA mandated Sanofi-Aventis to update the Taxotere warning label to warn about the severe side effects, it was too late.

Many people have already suffered permanent hair loss, eye problems, and other issues that affect their way of life.

To get justice and receive compensation for the damages they suffered, victims have filed cases against Sanofi-Aventis and the drug.

As of writing, there are more than 10,000 Taxotere lawsuits.

In these cases, plaintiffs allege that Sanofi failed to warn doctors and patients soon enough about the possible side effects.

If the victims win the case, the company will need to pay settlement awards.

Taxotere Lawsuit Update: Current Timeline

Here is a breakdown of the most significant Taxotere Lawsuit developments.

2015:

  • In 2015, FDA issued a label revision mandate to Sanofi after patients treated with Taxotere faced an increased risk of permanent hair loss and visual damage.

2016:

Even though Sanofi followed suit with the FDA mandate, the action was too late.

Many victims were already suffering permanent hair loss.

This event led to plaintiffs filing lawsuits against Sanofi, alleging that the company failed to include sufficient warnings about the severe side effects of Taxotere.

To quickly process thousands of cases, the Eastern District of Louisiana approved the Taxotere MDL.

The first bellwether trial for the MDL was conducted in 2019.

March 2022

Along with hair loss, there were many reports of Taxotere causing eye injuries.

The number of patients filing cases led to the creation of the Taxotere eye injury MDL.

August 2022

In August, Sanofi filed a motion to dismiss the eye injury cases.

Judge Milazzo ruled in favor of the defendant on the grounds that the plaintiffs failed to state a claim.

Thankfully, it was not over for the victims.

December 2022

In the same month the MDL was dismissed, an appeals court overturned Judge Milazzo’s decision.

The fight goes on for the plaintiffs of the Taxotere vision damage lawsuits.

February 2023

We’re back to the latest updates. On February 13, 2023, Judge Milazzo gave another pre-trial order.

It requested the application and nomination of liaison counsel for the defendants.

This is a good sign that the MDL is on its way to resolution.

How Does Taxotere Work?

To understand why the cancer drug Taxotere has such severe consequences on the body, we have to first examine what it does to cancer cells.

The drug is a microtubule inhibitor as labeled by Sanofi.

In other words, the medication disrupts how a cell’s skeleton works by making it rigid.

This stiffness prevents cancer cells from multiplying until they all die off.

Thanks to this effect, Taxotere is recognized as a highly effective chemo drug.

Unfortunately, Taxotere targets all kinds of cells, not just the cancerous ones.

It affects cell reproduction in sensitive areas like the scalp and the eyes.

For this reason, chemotherapy treatments could result in permanent hair loss and a host of eye issues.

Side Effects of Taxotere as a Cancer Treatment

The Impact of Taxotere on the Body

Taxotere, a common chemotherapy drug, has numerous negative effects on the body.

These effects range from temporary discomfort to permanent damage, significantly affecting the quality of life of patients.

Here are some effects of Taxotere:

  • Immediate Reactions:  Due to how Taxotere behaves, it causes a wide variety of negative effects on the body. Patients can experience rashes and itching on the skin, breathing difficulties, fever, and swelling in the face and lips. These reactions usually start immediately after the intravenous administration of Taxotere.
  • Long-term Side Effects:  The more severe side effects happen weeks after the chemotherapy treatment began. One of the most well-known is alopecia or hair loss due to how the drug kills hair follicles. While most chemotherapy-induced alopecia is temporary, some patients suffer permanent hair loss.
  • Legal Implications:  It’s thanks to this injury that we have the current hair loss litigation process. This has been a significant point of contention for patients who were not fully informed about the potential for permanent hair loss.

The other bodily systems that are sensitive to the effects of Taxotere are the eyes and lacrimal system.

The latter is the group of organs that produce tears.

In the most severe cases, these injuries can result in vision loss, watery eyes, and chronic pain that diminishes a person’s quality of life.

Here are some of the most cited eye injuries in the Taxotere vision loss lawsuit.

What To Do if You Believe You Have a Taxotere Case

While there is no set date yet for Taxotere litigation, we recommend that injured chemotherapy patients move quickly to file their claim.

If you suffered vision problems after taking Taxotere, contact us today for a free case evaluation.

Tru Lawsuit Info works primarily as a resource for victims, providing information about the Taxotere lawsuits and what you can do to get monetary compensation.

However, we also connect you with law firms that can help file a case and represent you in a court of law.

Get your free case evaluation now!

Frequently Asked Questions

  • When will the Taxotere Lawsuit be settled?

    Eye Damage Lawsuits

    As of writing, the Taxotere lawsuits are still pending and are in the pre-trial phase.

    Judge Jane Triche Milazzo issued a pre-trial order for the Taxotere eye injury MDL in February 2023.

    The length of the pre-trial phase can vary greatly from lawsuit to lawsuit, ranging anywhere from several months to a few years.

    The pre-trial phase typically includes the following steps:

    • Pleadings
    • Discovery
    • Pre-Trial Motions
    • Settlement Discussions

    Hair Loss Lawsuits

    The other MDL is for Taxotere hair loss lawsuits, with bellwether trials having started in 2019.

    There is no class action lawsuit as of now.

    However, this could change depending on the results of the upcoming bellwether trials.

    If you or a loved one has experienced vision damage or permanent alopecia because of Taxotere, you can still file a case.

    Your claim will be included in the vision damage lawsuits or the hair loss cases.

  • When is the settlement for the Taxotere eye injury MDL?

    As of now, the cases are still pending. Taxotere lawsuits are now part of the Taxotere eye injury MDL, which consolidated all the cases involving vision problems.

    In February 2023, MDL Judge Milazzo issued a pre-trial order for the appointment of liaison counsel for the defendants.

    This order is a good indicator that the MDL will soon have its bellwether trials.

  • What is the Taxotere Eye Injury Lawsuit?

    This lawsuit aims to hold Sanofi liable for failing to warn patients and doctors about the possible side effects of Taxotere on the eyes and lacrimal system.

    If Sanofi is proven to be at fault, the plaintiffs will be entitled to financial compensation for the damages they suffered.

  • Am I qualified for a Taxotere vision damage lawsuit?

    If you received the chemotherapy drug Taxotere as a treatment for breast cancer and suffered severe side effects like lacrimal duct obstruction and macular inflammation, then you are qualified to join the Taxotere eye injury MDL.

  • What are the possible effects of Taxotere on the eyes?

    Issues like lacrimal duct obstruction, DIME, and epiphora have been connected to Taxotere.

    These disorders can cause excessive tearing, blurry vision, and irritation of sensitive eye parts.

Written By:
Picture of Jessie Paluch
Jessie Paluch

Experienced Attorney & Legal SaaS CEO

With over 25 years of legal experience, Jessie is an Illinois lawyer, a CPA, and a mother of three.  She spent the first decade of her career working as an international tax attorney at Deloitte.

In 2009, Jessie co-founded her own law firm with her husband – which has scaled to over 30 employees since its conception.

In 2016, Jessie founded TruLaw, which allows her to collaborate with attorneys and legal experts across the United States on a daily basis. This hypervaluable network of experts is what enables her to share reliable legal information with her readers!

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Tru Lawsuit Info is a reliable source of information about issues that may affect your health and safety, such as faulty products, data breaches, and environmental hazards.

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Do You
Have A Case?

Here, at Tru Lawsuit Info, we’re committed to helping victims get the justice they deserve.

To do this, we actively work to connect them with attorneys who are experts in litigating cases similar to theirs.

Would you like our help?