A Plaintiff Files Suit Claiming Chantix Side Effects Caused His Car Accident

On or around April 23, 2009, Kent Boughton started taking the smoking cessation medication Chantix, manufactured by Pfizer. Shortly after, he was driving about 60 miles per hour when he experienced a blackout and struck a semi-truck. Boughton suffered several injuries including spinal fractures, leg fractures, a wrist fracture, and memory loss and confusion.

Kent Boughton and his wife Lori, Nebraska residents, are now seeking financial compensation for losses they’ve incurred as a result of Kent’s side effects resulting from Chantix use. Boughton vs Pfizer was filed on July 30, 2012.

Kent Boughton’s traumatic experience not only required several emergency surgeries, but it caused him to gain weight and permanently lose range of motion and mobility. Boughton’s Chantix lawyers claim that the plaintiff has experienced impotency and stress, and continues to suffer extreme pain because of his injuries.

Hundreds of plaintiffs adopt the master complaint that is part of the pending Chantix MDL

The medical community hasn’t been able to determine exactly why the smoking cessation drug causes blackouts. Other side effects from the drug include suicide after using Chantix, mood swings, aggressive behavior, depression, diabetes, Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, and heart problems.

Hundreds of plaintiffs, including the Boughtons, have adopted the master complaint that’s part of the pending Chantix multidistrict litigation (MDL). MDLs are created to quickly and effectively resolve multiple, similar lawsuits filed against a common defendant. The MDL was created in the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Alabama (Southern). Judge Inge P. Johnson will oversee any settlement negotiations that are conducted pre-trial.

Others have alleged Chantix caused blackout and other side effects

Boughton is not the only person to make allegations about a blackout from Chantix. On July 2, 2012, the attorney representing Eric Hall filed a lawsuit after the plaintiff robbed a toll collector, wrecked his car and subsequently went to jail. Hall claims he has no recollection of the event, which he says was caused by Chantix use.

Boughton’s and Hall’s legal teams will likely claim that Pfizer failed to warn them about the risk of dangerous side effects, which include suicide attempts, as well as depression and blackouts. They will also claim the company was negligent in concealing this information from consumers. Potential settlement amounts will vary depending on the outcome of individual lawsuits.

[SmartLink chantixlawsuit]