Causality and collateral estoppel: process and content of recent SSRI litigation.
In Tobin v. SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals a jury in the U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming found that the medication Paxil "can cause some individuals to commit homicide and/or suicide," and that it was a legal cause of the deaths in this case. A motion was recently put before the United States District Court for the District of Utah to adopt the findings of the Tobin case--via the application of collateral estoppel--to a case involving an individual's suicide while prescribed Paxil. This article summarizes these two cases, as reflected in court documents, and comments on limitations of common causality assertions.
Whitehead
Paul D
PD
Forensic Acute Unit, Utah State Hospital, Provo, UT, USA. pwhitehe@utah.gov
D015984:Causality; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy; D004345:Drug Industry / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D005260:Female; D006708:Homicide / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D016365:Liability, Legal; D008297:Male; D017374:Paroxetine / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013405:Suicide / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000523:psychology; D014959:Wyoming
D017374:Paroxetine; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors