Landmark Case in Germany: BioNTech Faces Lawsuit Over COVID-19 Vaccine Side Effects
Vials of the COVID-19 vaccine are seen at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, Md., Dec. 14, 2020.
In a landmark development, BioNTech SE, the German biotechnology company that partnered with Pfizer Inc. to produce one of the first COVID-19 vaccines, is now facing its first legal challenge in Germany over vaccine side effects.
In an unprecedented case that could potentially spark hundreds of similar claims across Germany, the plaintiff – a woman who has chosen to remain anonymous due to Germany’s privacy laws – is suing BioNTech for a minimum of €150,000 ($161,500) in damages.
According to Reuters, she cites “damages for bodily harm as well as compensation for unspecified material damage,” as detailed by Hamburg’s regional court and the law firm representing her, Rogert & Ulbrich.
Side effects listed in the suit include upper-body pain, swollen extremities, fatigue, and sleeping disorders attributed to the BioNTech Pfizer vaccine.
The landmark case’s first hearing will take place on Monday.
More lawsuits are coming in Germany. Rogert & Ulbrich reports filing about 250 cases for clients seeking damages for COVID-19 vaccine side effects. Another law firm, Caesar-Preller, claims to represent 100 cases, collectively covering almost all such cases in Germany. A few similar cases have been filed in Italy.
Reuters reported:
Tobias Ulbrich, a lawyer at Rogert & Ulbrich, told Reuters he aimed to challenge in court the assessment made by European Union regulators and German vaccine assessment bodies that the BioNTech shot has a positive risk-benefit profile.
German pharmaceutical law states that makers of drugs or vaccines are only liable to pay damages for side-effects if “medical science” shows that their products cause disproportionate harm relative to their benefits or if the label information is wrong.
BioNTech, which holds the marketing authorisation in Germany for the shot it developed with Pfizer , said it concluded after careful consideration that the case was without merit.
“The positive benefit-risk profile of Comirnaty remains positive and the safety profile has been well
Source: The Gateway Pundit
