AstraZeneca Faces £80M Compensation for U.K. Vaccine Injury/Death Claims
Death "was caused by the vaccination," according to the coroner.
In what is shaping up to be a monumental legal battle, AstraZeneca is confronting claims from 35 individuals who allege complications arising from the AstraZeneca COVID-19 DNA vaccine.
AstraZeneca is an official partner of the World Economic Forum (WEF) and funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
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Lawyers have filed these claims in the U.K. High Court, seeking tens of millions of pounds in compensation. An additional 40 claims are anticipated, potentially making this one of the most significant vaccine litigation cases, with a total compensation bill of around £80 million (approximately $101,760,000), according to reports.
The families of the injured and deceased are raising funds for their legal battle.
The crux of the legal challenge revolves around a side effect linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine, known as Vaccine-Induced Immune Thrombocytopenia and Thrombosis (VITT).
The condition, identified in about one in five cases, has been associated with the deaths of at least 81 people and serious harm to hundreds more. The claimants argue that the vaccine, developed in collaboration with the University of Oxford, is “defective.”
The newly identified condition causes blood clots, and in some instances, patients who contracted VITT have died. AstraZeneca is vehemently denying the allegations, asserting that its vaccine is not defective and labeling the claims as “confused” and “wrong in law.” The pharmaceutical giant is being sued under the Consumer Protection Act, with claimants contending that the vaccine was not as safe as portrayed.
One of the claimants, Jamie Scott, suffered a “significant permanent brain injury,” prompting calls for more substantial compensation than the £120,000 (about $156,000) one-off payment offered under the government’s Vaccine Damage Payment scheme.
Despite the government’s underwriting of legal action against AstraZeneca, critics argue that the compensation provided is inadequate, particularly in cases where individuals have died or had to abandon lucrative careers. A widower, Kurt Weideling, has lodged a claim after his wife, an Oxford University employee, died at 45 in May 2021. A coroner ruled that her death was attributable to VITT, and AstraZeneca is contesting the claim.
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The emotional toll on affected families is evident in the case of Kerry Williams, who lost her 37-year-old husband, Ben Hollobone. His death, occurring after receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine, led to a year-long quest for answers. Initially diagnosed with suspected appendicitis, Mr. Hollobone’s health deteriorated rapidly, eventually succumbing to a combination of blocked blood flow to his bowel, a blood clot, and VITT.
A coroner concluded that his death “was caused by the vaccination,” providing some solace to Mrs. Williams. However, the loss has far-reaching consequences, including the shattered dream of starting a family. Mrs. Williams, now part of the legal action against AstraZeneca, expressed feelings of being “completely ignored” and a determination to ensure justice for bereaved families.
The ongoing legal battle raises questions about the safety of COVID shots.
In March 2023, The British Medical Journal (BMJ) announced that lawyers for around 75 claimants had sent AstraZeneca pre-action protocol letters.
One of the lawyers, Peter Todd, a consultant solicitor with Scott-Moncrieff & Associates, told BMJ that the complications included stroke, heart failure, and leg amputations. He argued the technology involved in the AstraZeneca jab was “risky.”
NHS Business Services, which operates the vaccine damage scheme, revealed in response to a freedom of information request that by March the scheme had received 4,017 claims related to COVID jabs. AstraZeneca’s shot, which contains genetically modified organisms (GMOs), was involved in 622 of those. Pfizer’s was involved in 348 and Moderna’s in 43. “Of the 4017 claims, 334 were for a death,” BMJ noted.
A partner in the Hausfeld law firm, Sarah Moore, who represents some of those taking legal action, said the scheme’s maximum £120,000 payment amounted to “nothing,” especially in cases where the person who was injured or died was the family breadwinner. “Many were parents and many were caregivers,” she explained.
The BMJ announcement continued:
MPs, campaigners, and families also argue that the scheme takes too long to decide on payments. The number of administrative staff processing claims has recently been increased from four to 80.
Damages for individuals in the court action could be in the millions. Moore added, “We’ve been trying to get the government to reform their statutory scheme. We didn’t want to litigate but the government has forced us into a corner. The only way these families can get compensation is to fight the battle they didn’t want to fight.”
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$156,000 for the loss of a bread winner, or for someone with a permanent brain injury is disgusting. Like here in America, the deck was stacked against these folks long ago.