Plaintiff Files Chantix Suicide Suit Against Pfizer

A new plaintiff whose lawsuit was filed on the 30th of April, 2012, has become one of the latest litigants to see his lawsuit consolidated in the ongoing multidistrict litigation case currently taking place in the United States’ District Court for the Northern District of Alabama. Missouri resident Terry Smith filed his lawsuit with the help of a lawyer in the multidistrict litigation case after he claims that his use of the drug led to suicidal thoughts and other side effects of Chantix that have effected him immensely. According to his lawsuit, he began using the popular smoking cessation drug on the 19th of October, 2007, and subsequently suffered from severe side effects because of it. The lawsuit brings a number of counts against drug maker Pfizer, including gross negligence, fraudulent concealment, unjust enrichment, and breach of warranties.

Chantix MDL continues to grow

The Alabama multidistrict litigation case currently contains about 275 pending cases, all of which deal with some form of side effects. Mood disorders such as depression, suicide ideation, and suicide after Chantix use are represented by lawsuits, as are other personality and behavioral changes including aggressive behavior, hostility, rage, and agitation. Other side effects that are more physical include diabetes, heart arrhythmia, muscle disorders, seizures, and vision problems. Each of these plaintiffs is seeking compensation from Pfizer for his or her injuries, and some lawsuits involve wrongful death cases filed by relatives of patients who have lost a loved one to suicide or other conditions.

Bellwether trials have been scheduled by the presiding judge, Inge P. Johnson, to start on the 22nd of October, 2012. Two of the eight cases scheduled for trial at this time will be suicide lawsuits, wrongful death actions filed by family members.

Cases will be remanded

Lawsuits will be remanded back to the courts in which they were filed after pretrial processes and bellwether trials take place in the multidistrict litigation case, and therefore plaintiff Smith’s trial will be held in the United States’ District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri.

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