Much more than 10,000 infants were affected globally, of whom a lot more than half died. About 460 recognised thalidomide victims still live in Britain.
Slater & Gordon solicitors has issued new proceedings against Grünenthal, the German pharmaceutical firm which created thalidomide, and Diageo Scotland, which in the late 1990s acquired Distillers Co (Biochemicals), the company which distributed the drug in Britain.
Fraser Whitehead, the claimants’ solicitor, explained: “It is a tragedy that folks with important bodily abnormalities brought on by thalidomide have had to reside with their troubles for much more than 50 years yet have by no means been compensated by the producer and distributor.
“Grünenthal and Distillers have usually claimed that the thalidomide disaster was an unavoidable tragedy and that they did almost everything anticipated of drug businesses at the time. Our study has demonstrated that is nonsense.
“Both firms knew their drug was leading to severe nerve damage and each had been explicitly warned of the chance thalidomide may possibly lead to severe malformations. Yet the drug was left on the market place for a lot of months afterwards.
“It is time these accountable are last but not least held to account for the mistakes of the past. Grünenthal, in distinct, has completed small make great the immense damage that it has done and it has to accept accountability for these impacted in the United kingdom.
“Thalidomide survivors in this nation have had their lives ruined by this drug nevertheless they have not obtained any justice from Grünenthal in spite of the organization becoming held to account in other components of the planet.”
Distillers agreed to pay compensation to recognised thalidomide victims in 1973 but the new legal situation claims at least eight individuals missed out on settlement offers due to health care criteria utilized to claims at the time.
Mr Davies, from Gwynedd, North Wales, was born with significant defects of each legs. His left leg ends in a stump below the knee and his correct leg has only two toes.
The married father-of-two said: “I’m very angry at the way I, and other folks like me, have been handled over the many years. I have by no means actually been provided any assistance however my disabilities have meant my daily life has been quite difficult.
“I’ve worked all my daily life but I’m anxious that won’t often be possible.
“I have to wear a prosthetic leg and suffer consistent pain in my legs, hips and back. I be concerned that the soreness will maintain obtaining worse and end me from doing my occupation.”
He additional: “I know I am luckier than numerous as I nevertheless have my arms but that does not mean I ought to have been ignored. It is a disgrace that so a lot of people have been denied justice in this way.
“In my eyes it was simply the drug businesses hunting to save income and ignoring the duty of care they have to men and women whose lives they have ruined.
“Every day I am in discomfort and every single day is a struggle. I hope that now we last but not least get the justice that we have been demanding for so a lot of many years.”
A Diageo spokeswoman explained: “We consider any matter relating to thalidomide injured folks very significantly.
“We have a extended track record of performing the proper point in our treatment of thalidomide injured individuals in the United kingdom as evidenced by our prolonged-standing connection with the Thalidomide Trust and the £60 million of funding we have supplied to the trust to make certain the prolonged-term care and compensation for these genuinely affected. As far as we are aware, no legal proceedings have presently been issued towards us with respect to this matter.”
New legal action in thalidomide scandal
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