Chantix Lawsuits After Suicide

Chantix has been referred to as one of the most dangerous drugs on the market today. Many people wonder how this can be--after all, Chantix is meant to be used by smokers to help them quit the habit. Quitting smoking is a step many people take in order to try to be healthier, and something that is beneficial to that process is not the first thing anyone has in mind when it comes to serious side effects. But Chantix comes with a slew of risks--long term side effects of Chantix are present and cases have been so numerous that a Chantix class action lawsuit has been filed.

One of the many Chantix lawsuits was filed by plaintiff Brian Kline on July of 2008. He, not unlike many Chantix patients, began taking the drug in order to have an easier time quitting smoking. He has brought nine claims against drug maker Pfizer, a range of accusations that include breach of warranty and strict liability. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Only negligence is a legitimate claim for damages against a pharmaceutical manufacturer is a legitimate charge to claim in Pennsylvania, and most of Kline's claims were dismissed in October of 2008 for this reason. Although Kline and his Chantix lawyer did take further steps and file a motion for partial reconsideration, the motion was recently denied.

More and more Chantix lawsuits are being filed every day. Chantix in particular has come under fire for psychological side effects such as Chantix suicide and suicidal thoughts as well as episodes of depression or rage, which have even more of an impact on patients with a history of mental illness or psychological problems. Kline, like many other Chantix patients, says that he began taking Chantix in July of 2007 and shortly thereafter began experiencing "manic behavior, aggressive and violent behavior, and diagnosis of psychotic disorder for which he was hospitalized." 

Federal cases involving suicide and depression related to Chantix are consolidated in multi district litigation in the Northern District Court of Alabama. More cases are being filed on a regular basis and it is too soon to see what the outcome will be in most of them. The future of the drug remains unclear.