Abstract
This UK paper on multiparty litigation looks at the Opren case. This concerned an anti-arthritic drug licensed in the UK between 1980 and 1982. While a number of drug users died, the most common adverse reaction was photosensitivity. The main legal action involved almost 1,500 plaintiffs and seven defendants. In the early summer of 1987 a court ruling on the funding of the action meant that 500 of the plaintiffs might have to withdraw. With the help of a multimillionaire and a media campaign, the parties reached a controversial settlement at the end of 1987. This paper focuses on the plaintiffs' case, the way the litigation proceeded through the courts and the nature of the settlement. It goes on to assess the problems the case highlighted in court procedures, legal aid and liability for defective drugs.
Zusammenfassung
Opren, ein Anfang der 80er Jahre in Großbritannien auf den Markt gekommenes Rheumamittel, führte bei etwa 1,500 vornehmlich älteren Patienten zu teilweise schweren Nebenwirkungen. Der Versuch einer Opferentschädigung, der vom Autor ausführlich unter Berücksichtigung der Besonderheiten des englischen Haftungs- und Verfahrensrechts dargestellt wird, endete 1987 in einem mit dem Mantel des Schweigens zugedeckten Vergleich mit der Herstellerfirma. Das Verfahren hat die Mängel einer Schadensverfolgung bei Massenschäden in England deutlich gemacht und zu Reformen Anstoß gegeben.
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Additional information
Guy Dehn, Barrister; Legal Officer to the National Consumer Council, 20 Grosvenor Gardens, London SW1W 0DH, England.
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Dehn, G. Opren — Problems, solutions, and more problems. J Consum Policy 12, 397–414 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00412144
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00412144