Chantix Lawsuits Making Progress: Update

Chantix, the popular smoking cessation drug that has plagued some users with serious side effects, is about to be at the centre of a series of trials set to take place in the Northern District of Alabama. Over 1,200 Chantix lawsuits have been consolidated in multidistrict litigation that has not yet begun, but both parties will begin preparing evidence from the initial discovery pool this fall, and trials will commence from there. In multidistrict litigation, pretrial processes are completed as one, and then cases may be sent back to the courts from which they originated.

Plaintiffs are filing suit on behalf of themselves or a family member who has experienced one of many severe Chantix side effects, including suicide attempts and suicide ideation, episodes of rage, heart problems, aggressive behavior, and heart attacks. The cases center around the assertion that Pfizer did not adequately warn patients of the potential for many of these serious side effects. In addition, there is concern over the way Chantix was tested. Subjects with a history of mental illness were not included in Chantix clinical trials, despite the fact that statistically people with a history of mental illness or mental problems are much more likely to smoke. In addition, people with such a history are the ones most likely to be affected by Chantix psychological side effects.

Multidistrict litigation, in this case, will help speed up the litigation process much more than if every case had to be dealt with completely individually. The process of combining cases into multidistrict litigation is similar to class action. Cases can be settled in bulk, and it is possible that after the first few trials take place Pfizer will see a pattern and offer other plaintiffs settlements outside of court. This is practical for both sides as in an out of court settlement, less has to be disclosed, and there could be sensitive information – especially on the defendant’s end. In addition, this would be helpful to a plaintiff who has medical bills and other expenses to take care of, especially since it would eliminate some need for legal costs.

Patients who have experienced Chantix side effects and want to take legal action against Pfizer should contact their Chantix lawyer so they can get their legal questions answered.