A Philadelphia mother recevied $2.5 million judgment against GlaxoSmith-Kline because a jury ruled that Paxil was responsible for her son's heart problems. The jury ruled 10-2 in favor of the mother citing that the drug manufacturer was negligent because they failed to warn doctors and patients of the risk to pregnant mothers.
The lawsuit is the first of hundreds to be filed in Philadelphia Court and many plaintiff lawyers are optimistic that their suits will have similar results. This particular case was difficult to prove in court because there are birth defects in 3 to 5 percent of all live births and it is hard to prove that a drug caused a birth defect in a child.
The jury's decision did not award the plaintiff compensatory damages because the jury did not find any evidence that GlaxoSmith-Kline knew about the potential side effects. Had documents surfaced that drug manufacturer knew of potential dangerous side effects but neglected to warn consumers or pull the drug off the market then compensatory damages would have been awarded.
GlaxoSmith-Kline is also battling law suits across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom for a different reason. There is evidence that Paxil users have a higher tendency to commit homicidal and suicidal acts. Already the drug manufacturer has settled cases outside of court and has had to deal with accusations of suppressing research that showed Paxil can lead to suicide.
If you believe you have been harmed by Paxil please do not hesitate to contact our experienced pharmaceutical litigation attorneys today to discuss your potential case.
