SACRAMENTO – A Dorris couple is suing pharmaceutical companies alleging that they wrongfully failed to label their product for side effects it may cause.
Karen Reynolds and Delmar Scott Reynolds filed a complaint on March 10 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California against Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. LTD and Otsuka America Pharmaceutical Inc., citing breach of implied warranty, negligence, fraudulent concealment and other counts.
According to the complaint, the plaintiffs allege that Karen Reynolds suffered neuropsychiatric and physical injury due to taking the medication Abilify, which is used to treat depression, bipolar I disorder and schizophrenia. The suit states that one of the side effects of the drug is uncontrollable compulsive behaviors. The plaintiffs allege that the drug caused Karen Reynolds to become a compulsive gambler and as a result, they have suffered monetary losses of $34,000.
The plaintiffs hold the defendants responsible because they allegedly distributed Abilify without disclosing proper precautions about its use on its label.
The plaintiffs seek the following: actual and punitive damages, interest, all legal fees and any other relief as this court deems just and proper. They are represented by Gary L. Wilson, Munir Meghjee and Megan J. McKenzie of Robins Kaplan LLP in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California Case number 2:16-cv-00509-JAM-CMK