After receiving notice that he might lose the case, Gareth Eve and his family almost gave up trying to fight the legal battle with pharmaceutical “giant” AstraZeneca. In May 2021, his wife Lisa Shaw passed away after receiving the company’s Covid-19 vaccine, completely turning his life upside down. The family decided to sue for compensation for damages. However, according to the Supreme Court, this request may not be approved because the company issued a warning about rare side effects of the vaccine when the pandemic was spreading rapidly.
Legal experts believe this warning in the vaccination documents may protect the company from accusations by families like Mr. Eve’s. Many families have made similar decisions to withdraw lawsuits against AstraZeneca. However, there are still more than 50 people continuing the fight with the pharmaceutical giant over vaccination cases before the safety warning was issued.
Gareth Eve expressed his frustration at the company evading responsibility, despite including warnings in their information leaflets and vaccination instructions. He mentioned the difficulty for average individuals to understand medical terminology and warnings provided at vaccination centers. If he continues with the lawsuit, he may not be covered by insurance and may have to pay a significant fee to the pharmaceutical company.
While the government is offering compensation through the Vaccine Injury Payment Scheme, Mr. Eve believes the amount is insufficient. He urged ministers and pharmaceutical companies to have a dialogue with families like his and recognize their moral responsibility. Despite the legal battles, independent studies have shown that the AstraZeneca vaccine is effective in saving lives and the dangerous side effects are very rare.
The first lawsuit related to these incidents was filed by Jamie Scott, who suffered permanent brain damage after receiving the vaccine. He and his wife are determined to continue their fight for justice. AstraZeneca has announced the recall of its Covid-19 vaccine worldwide as demand decreases, and there are new generation vaccines available. The company also voluntarily withdrew its marketing license for this vaccine in the European market.