According the Wall Street Journal, Pfizer has settled a pharmaceutical malpractice lawsuit with a paralyzed man who committed suicide in 2002 using an anti-seizure drug called Neurontin.

Our San Diego spinal cord injury lawyers know that living with any variety of paralysis is not easy.  It is very common for those with spinal cord injuries to become depressed after a car accident or slip and fall incident.  There is a risk of suicide sometimes during paralysis treatments with pharmaceutical usage.  If these risks are not labeled, however, then pharmaceutical malpractice lawsuits can arise.

Lawsuit with Pfizer settled over paralyzed man’s 2002 suicidal overdose.

One woman of Berkshire County, Mass., filed the lawsuit on behalf of her husband who was prescribed Neurontin to control the effects of his paralyzing spinal cord injury.  Pfizer marketed the drug — even though it lacked approval by U.S. regulators.  The drug company was aware that Neurontin carried a risk of suicide, but Pfizer failed to properly warn of the potential hazards.

“While Pfizer maintains that it has strong defenses to each of plaintiff’s claims, and has great confidence in the jury and the court, Pfizer agreed to settle the case for less than its defense costs remaining in this case,” said Pfizer in a statement released on Monday.

In 2003, Neurontin garnished $2.7 billion in sales for Pfizer, yet has since lost patent protection.  The company has been hit with an array of lawsuits claiming a relationship between Neurontin and suicide, attempted suicide and other personal injuries.

This pharmaceutical malpractice settlement is confidential, though some sources say that Pfizer would pay less than $400,000 — considerably lower than the $430 million they agreed to stop a government investigation into the promotional techniques of Neurontin.  Pfizer has only said that the Shearer suit has ended on “favorable terms”.

Our San Diego firm’s spinal cord injury lawyers wish to remind everyone that if you experience any type of paralyzing injury, from a herniated disc to a vertebral compression fracture, that the drugs you are taking are approved for use by the government and do not contain a risk of suicide.

The point of paralysis treatment is to get better — in mind, body and soul — not to get worse.

If you or a loved one have been involved in an accident and suffered a spinal cord injury or paralysis, we urge you to contact our bilingual offices as soon as possible following the accident at 1-858-551-2090 or please click here for a FREE consultation with an experienced paralysis lawyer in San Diego.  We handle all cases on a contingency fee basis, which means that you owe us nothing until we recover money on your behalf.