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A.J. De Bartolomeo of Yaz on Trial: LexBlog Q&A

Yaz attorney A.J. BartolomeoYou’ve likely seen the news reports about the dozens of lawsuits filed by women who have suffered serious injuries after taking Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella birth control pills. You probably also saw lots of information flying around about the risks and consequences of the pills from a variety of sources.

Litigator A.J. De Bartolomeo of the law firm of Girard Gibbs wanted to provide a one-stop shop for her clients and others affected by the pills to be able to educate themselves while not getting overwhelmed by the complications of mass litigation. Along with co-counsel Mike Danko, she launched Yaz on Trial to serve as "an outlet for women and their families to get a clear understanding of how the litigation is playing out."

They do this by writing in plain English (not legalese) and explaining common questions they’ve heard from numerous clients and other readers.

"Our focus at Yaz on Trial is on simplifying the mass litigation process, not only for individuals interested in our case, but for those involved in other mass actions as well," A.J. says.

We caught up with A.J. for this LexBlog Q&A to discuss more about why she started Yaz on Trial and how her blog helps her connect with women and their families.

See our email exchange with A.J., after the jump.

Lisa Kennelly: Why did you decide to start a blog?

A.J. De Bartolomeo: Earlier this year we were contacted by a mother of 3-year old twins who had suffered a stroke and permanent brain damage after taking the birth control pill Yaz (which incidentally is the top-selling birth control pill sold in the U.S.). We began investigating her claims further and soon learned that she was not alone and that many women had suffered severe health side effects after taking the birth control pills Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella. The injuries ranged from strokes to blood clots to gallbladder disease and many other serious health problems. When we spoke to these women and their families they repeatedly questioned why they hadn’t heard about these health risks and wanted to know what was going on with the lawsuits against the makers of Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella.

Based on those conversations, my co-counsel, Mike Danko and I decided to start our blog, Yaz on Trial. We felt that something was needed to get the word out to women and educate people about the health risks associated with these drugs and a blog seemed a great way to do that. We recognize that mass litigation, like the Yaz and Yasmin lawsuits, can be very complicated and difficult to understand, so we wanted to create an outlet for women and their families to get a clear understanding of how the litigation is playing out. One thing led to another and Yaz on Trial was born.

Lisa Kennelly: What has been most rewarding about blogging?

A.J. De Bartolomeo: The most rewarding thing about blogging is having the opportunity to connect to people through the blog itself. We speak to women every day who have questions about the litigation against the makers of Yaz and Yasmin, and we have found that typically when one person has a question, many others have the same question as well. The blog is a great way to help answer some of those questions and keep people informed about the litigation. A good example is our post about the Yasmin and Yaz Multi-District litigation. Several people had questions about what Multi-District Litigation was and found that post very helpful.

Lisa Kennelly: What has been the response from clients, members of your firm, bloggers, other lawyers, or anyone else?

A.J. De Bartolomeo: The response has been very positive so far. Clients have told us that they find it helpful to have a source for up-to-date information about what’s happening with the litigation and an easy way to connect with us. Other lawyers have also contacted us through the blog and have found it helpful. Overall, our readers have touted it as a great resource, and we hope to continue to provide useful information and receive such a positive response.

Lisa Kennelly: How do you think blogs like Yaz on Trial can be beneficial to attorneys and clients involved in mass litigation, in general?

A.J. De Bartolomeo: Litigation, particularly mass litigation, can be a confusing and overwhelming process for people who are unfamiliar with it. With so many people involved in the litigation and so many different legal procedures at play, it can become quite a maze, and naturally people have questions. A blog, like Yaz on Trial, can help lend some clarity to this confusing legal process and answer common questions. Our focus at Yaz on Trial is on simplifying the mass litigation process, not only for individuals interested in our case, but for those involved in other mass actions as well. Our readers have responded well to this approach, and have told us that they find our posts focused on mass actions to be informative and helpful.

Lisa Kennelly: What other blogs or online resources do you find most valuable to your own blogging?

A.J. De Bartolomeo: One of our goals is to provide up-to-date information on the status of the Yaz lawsuits, so a favorite of our online resources is PACER. Short for “Public Access to Court Electronic Records,” PACER is an online service run by the Federal Court System that provides access to court dockets, documents filed in a lawsuit, and information on new cases filed. In addition to monitoring the case status, we always keep a close eye on breaking news concerning Yaz and Yasmin via RSS feeds, Google reader etc. I will also admit to occasionally using online medical dictionaries when I come across unfamiliar medical terms.

But really, the most valuable online resource for us at Yaz on Trial is the online Yaz forums authored by women throughout the country. These forums provide outlets for real women share their stories and personal experiences involving these birth control pills. We find these forums to be so informative, in fact, that we recently dedicated a blog post to them on Yaz on Trial. Hopefully, we will succeed in making Yaz on Trial as good a resource for them as they are to us.

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