The Paris court on Wednesday condemned Sanofi, acknowledging that the laboratory has committed “a fault by failing to fulfill its obligation of vigilance and its obligation to inform. “A judgment which validates in passing the group action initiated by the association of victims APESAC. The laboratory appealed against the decision.
This call is a provocation, say the families and their lawyers. For master Charles Joseph-Oudin, one of the victims’ lawyers, “Sanofi’s liability is once again judged and _the victims are relieved to read in a court decision that the laboratory committed a fault_. This decision is important because it punishes Sanofi’s strategy of denial of responsibility, almost contempt for the victims. It is urgent that the laboratory change its attitude and finally recognize its responsibility and compensate the victims. “
The procedures will still be long but for the 15,000 to 30,000 victims of Dépakine each conviction against Sanofi is a victory. “It won’t make our lives, “says Sylvie Torrente, victim of Dépakine. Her three children were born with various disabilities.”The doctors just told me that my 16 year old daughter was going to lose all of her teeth. You realize, wear dentures at 16! The ideal would be to replace them with dental implants. But it is not the same cost!“
Marine Martin, the president of APESAC is relieved of this upcoming group action. “This is really a first and I invite all the families of victims to call me, we will study their case together, because the court has set eligibility criteria. This concerns in particular the cases identified between 2001 and 2006. From 2006, the risks for pregnant women were indicated in the leaflet, it is therefore the responsibility of the prescribing doctors. “
APESAC today represents more than 7,600 victims (3,500 families), it now encourages families to approach the association to examine the consequences of the group action which is a first in the medical field in France. To contact APESAC call 01.76.54.01.34.