AFP
June 25, 2011, 1:17 pm
Aussie leads historic battle
A woman born without arms and legs will lead a mass lawsuit against firms behind a sedative blamed for birth defects.
SYDNEY, June 25, 2011 (AFP) - - An Australian woman born without arms and legs will lead a mass lawsuit against the German and British firms behind thalidomide, a sedative blamed for birth defects, lawyers said Saturday.
Lynette Rowe, who has been cared for around the clock by her parents since her birth in 1962, is to head a class action against German chemical firm Grunenthal, makers of thalidomide, and British-based distributor Distillers.
The suit, to be lodged in Victoria's Supreme Court, will seek payouts for Australians not yet compensated for birth defects caused by the drug between 1958 and 1970, said leading law firm Slater and Gordon.
"There (are) a significant number of people affected by thalidomide who have never been compensated, or even had the psychological satisfaction of an explanation for the physical abnormalities they have lived with for 50 years," said lawyer Peter Gordon.
"The legal action we are taking is an attempt to address those issues."
The firm won a multi-million dollar suit for 45 thalidomide victims in Australia and New Zealand against Britain's Diageo last year and claims to have uncovered evidence that drug makers knew more about the dangers than they let on.
A predecessor company of Diageo bought Distillers in 1986.
"Grunenthal and Distillers treated Australia as a priority and ensured this country was flooded with thalidomide," said lawyer Michael Magazanik, who has just returned from a fact-finding mission to Europe.
"By the time investigators identified thalidomide as the cause of the skyrocketing rate of birth injuries, there were another eight million thalidomide tablets in warehouses around Australia, ready to be sent to doctors' surgeries and chemists," he added.
Up to 100 Australians are estimated to have never received compensation for thalidomide conditions, including Rowe, who -- if she wins her case -- stands to receive one of the biggest personal injury payouts in Australian history.
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43 Comments
Tanya B
04:23pm Saturday 25th June 2011 EST
I do hope the will WIN I say about Time good on ya
tizzy
04:24pm Saturday 25th June 2011 EST
I went to school with a guy who was a "thalidomide baby". He would have been born around 1963, and received compensation at least 25 years ago to my knowledge. Why has it taken so long for the people mentioned in this article to be compensated?
She's in the west wind
04:42pm Saturday 25th June 2011 EST
All the best to Lynette and others in her situation - although money can never truly compensate for what's been taken from you :(
Sylvia
04:55pm Saturday 25th June 2011 EST
I should like to say, I was born in 1962, my mother was offered Thalidamide for morning sickness, she declined, growing up, I met children at school with Thaidamide disease, I thought it was normal. How lucky I was. I am now 49 and realise I was one of the lucky ones. I hope everyone gets every penny they deserve.
Dung T
04:57pm Saturday 25th June 2011 EST
it is about time to tell those bad rich people " doesn't matter if you are wealthy rich , doesn't matter if you have billions of dollars in your account , you still under the law of justice "
simone c
04:58pm Saturday 25th June 2011 EST
My Cousin In Belgium had a boy born with no arms at the same time and the King of Belgium compensated the family
Motischa
05:01pm Saturday 25th June 2011 EST
I truely hope these people and their families WIN. It's time these companies are held ACCOUNTABLE for the HARDSHIP they cause because of their GREED. We should also remember these cases when a new drug is not released as soon as we would like it to be.
Julia
05:01pm Saturday 25th June 2011 EST
Yay :-) Disadvantaged people have a voice, too! :-) Go Lynette! :-)
Down1me
05:01pm Saturday 25th June 2011 EST
good luck!
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Các anh chị có suy nghĩ, ưu tư, ý kiến chia sẻ gì về bản tin "AUSTRALIAN TO LEAD THALIDOMIDE SUIT" và những ý kiến phê bình trên trong số 43 "Comments" ???
Nếu THẬT SỰ có những CHỨNG MINH rõ ràng, có những cá nhân, tổ chức, công ty vì quyền lợi, vì làm giàu đã gây ra những đau đớn từ thể xác lẫn tinh thần cho những người thường được thế giới gọi là " Disadvantaged people", các anh chị có nghĩ những kẻ biết rõ việc làm của họ sẽ gây đau khổ cho nhân lọai mà họ vẫn làm, đó là TỘI ÁC không ???
Và, những kẻ đã làm TỘI ÁC này có đáng bị xét xử và đền tội họ đã gây ra ???
Chân thành cám ơn Quý Anh Chị ghé thăm "conbenho Nguyễn Hoài Trang Blog"
Xin được lắng nghe ý kiến chia sẻ của Quý Anh Chị trực tiếp tại Diễn Đàn Paltalk: 1Latdo Tapdoan Vietgian CSVN Phanquoc Bannuoc .
Kính chúc Sức Khỏe Quý Anh Chị .
conbenho
Tiểu Muội quantu
Nguyễn Hoài Trang
26062011
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CSVN là TỘI ÁC
Bao che, dung dưỡng TỘI ÁC là đồng lõa với TỘI ÁC
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