First Chantix Suicide Lawsuit Approved by Court
By Andrea Gressman
Lawsuits over Chantix side effects continue to be filed by family members of victims who committed suicide after taking the anti-smoking drug. One plaintiff, Judy Whitely, has received permission from the court that is handling the Chantix lawsuit MDL to sue Chantix manufacturer, Pfizer, for punitive damages after her husband committed Chantix suicide.
U.S. District Judge Inge Prytz approved Judy Whitely’s motion to seek punitive damages from Pfizer on behalf of Alan Whitely, her deceased husband in her Chantix suicide lawsuit. The approval for this particular Chantix lawsuit development was granted on September 18, 2012.
Punitive damages in situations like Chantix suicide lawsuits are often higher awards than single compensation lawsuits and are often used to punish a company for its wrongdoing or to serve as an example to other companies not to partake in similar actions. It will be interesting to see if this Chantix suicide lawsuit follows the same trend.
Plaintiff in Chantix Suicide Lawsuit Claims Husband Death was Caused by Chantix
In her June 2012 Chantix lawsuit complaint, Judy Whitely claims her husband’s suicide was caused by Chantix side effects. Chantix is a drug designed to help people quit smoking. However, the drug is also linked to a number of side effects including the following:
* Aggression
* Behavior changes
* Depression
* Suicidal thoughts
* Attempted suicide
* Psychological problems
* Blackouts
* Heart Attacks
* Development of Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS)
* Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis
* Additional cardiovascular problems
Whitely is only one in over a thousand Chantix lawsuit plaintiffs hoping to get some form of compensation from Pfizer regarding damages caused by Chantix side effects.
Over 2,000 Have Filed Chantix Lawsuits Regarding Negative Side Effects
The first set of eight Chantix lawsuit bellwether trials has been scheduled to take place on Oct. 22, 2012. The schedule has been set by Judge Johnson. At that time, the first Chantix lawsuit plaintiff will make a case indicating that Pfizer failed to provide adequate warning regarding the dangerous side effects of Chantix. Bellwether trials are designed to point out the common themes and claims that the court will address in the future Chantix lawsuits.
As of now, only Whitely has been approved by the court to seek punitive damages against Pfizer regarding the death of her husband allegedly brought on by Chantix’s side effects. The court has not reveled whether or not Whitely will receive compensation through a Chantix lawsuit settlement. Cases similar to Whitely’s Chantix suicide lawsuit have been centralized with the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Alabama.
Pfizer faces over 2,000 Chantix lawsuits regarding their failure to warn plaintiffs of serious side effects caused by Chantix — one of the most serious side effect being suicide. If Whitely is awarded punitive damages, Pfizer will face greater economic hardship than previously thought.
Chantix Side Effects an Issue from the Very Beginning
Soon after the approval of Chantix in 2006, reports began to surface regarding the widespread cases of side effects associated with Chantix, especially the psychological ones. Subsequently, a number of Chantix lawsuits were filed due to these side effects.
In 2007, the FDA recommended that physicians watch their patients closely for any signs of mood swings or unusual behaviors. In 2008, the Institute for Safe Medicine Practices claimed the FDA received over 1,000 reports regarding the danger Chantix poses in regard to side effects. Of all the situations reported, 50 resulted in death.
Despite the fact that Chantix may cause serious injury to users, the smoking cessation drug still remains on the market today.
If you or someone you know has received one of the many Chantix side effects listed above, including aggression, behavior changes, depression, suicidal thoughts, attempted suicide, psychological problems, blackouts, heart attacks, Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS), Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis, and/or additional cardiovascular problems please contact a Chantix lawsuit attorney right away. Visit the Chantix Suicide, Heart Attack, Suicide Attempt & Stevens-Johnson Syndrome Class Action Lawsuit Settlement Investigation page right away and a Chantix lawsuit specialist will provide you with a free consultation.
Updated October 15th, 2012
All medical device, dangerous drug and medical class action and lawsuit news updates are listed in the Drug and Medical Device section of Top Class Actions.
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One thought on First Chantix Suicide Lawsuit Approved by Court
…I understand people will be skeptical about a “pill” causing a person to commit suicide. Shoot, I would, too…!…had I not taken two Chantix regimens myself between Oct. ’06-Oct. ’07! But, I DID…and can asSURE any naysayers out there….THIS drug is for REAL!! The side effects….DISBURBINGLY REAL!!!
Once in your system, only God knows HOW and WHERE you will land!! That drug literally PICKED me up and THREW me down!!! I took it w/ONLY the BEST intention…and would be the FIRST to admit that, YES, it DID touch on the smoking receptors!!! And, had it STOPPED there, I, TOO would be singing their praises…but, it DIDN’T and I CAN’T.
That drug OWNED me. After it touched on my receptors it travelled on and on throughout my brain…invading my thoughts, my dreams, my reflexes, judgement, etc. I was SO CONFUSED and TIRED!!!! All I wanted to do was curl up in a closet and lock the world out.
Two, long, PAINful hospital stays PLUS a psyche unit in ’08, ROCKED ME TO THE CORE!!!! NEVER in my wildest nightmare could I have seen this coming!!!! If your doctor tries to prescribe this…RUN TO THE NEAREST EXIT!!!!!!!!!!!!