A Chantix wrongful death
Florida lawsuit blames Pfizer, the maker of the anti-smoking drug Chantix, for
the death of Cynthia E. Ray, who died in a car accident. Her husband, Mark
Reavis, alleges that her car accident was caused by psychological Chantix side effects, which can include mood swings and blackouts.
According to the Chantix
wrongful death Florida lawsuit, Cynthia E. Ray began taking Chantix in April of
2009 at the advice of her doctor to help her stop smoking. Soon after she began
taking the drug, she began to experience some of its negative Chantix psychological problems, which can include depression, blackouts, mood swings, and
suicidal thoughts or behavior. Ray told her family that the drug was making her
feel “crazy”, and she became hostile, depressed, and withdrawn, avoiding social
functions and withdrawing from family and friends. Her husband, Mark Reavis,
was on active duty with the military at the time.
On July 2, 2009, Reavis
returned home from duty. That night, Ray left the house without telling anyone
and got into her car. At 1:45 a.m. she crashed her car on Interstate 10 and
died on impact. She had been driving the wrong way (eastbound) in a westbound
lane.
Chantix curbs nicotine
cravings by increasing the release of dopamine in the brain. However, this
increase in dopamine can also confuse the nervous system and lead to a Chantix
blackout. It is not known whether Ray experienced a Chantix blackout before her
fatal car crash.
The Chantix wrongful death
Florida lawsuit blaming Pfizer for Ray's death was filed by Ray's widowed
husband. The case, Reavis vs. Pfizer, has been added to the Chantix
multi-district litigation (MDL), which has been consolidated in the Northern
District of Alabama. This MDL includes more than 1,200 Chantix lawsuits and is
being overseen by Judge Inge P. Johnson, who has set a May 2012 deadline for
reply briefs involving expert witnesses in the litigation. Some Chantix lawyers
predict that the number of plaintiffs may reach 2,000 by the time the Chantix
lawsuits go to trial. No bellwether
trial schedule has yet been announced for the Chantix MDL.
