According to lawyers, at least 185 civil lawsuits have been filed across Germany for alleged damage caused by vaccinations against the coronavirus.
Two law offices in Düsseldorf and Wiesbaden, according to their statements, represent 135 and 50 of those cases, respectively. Lawsuits have been filed against four major manufacturers of coronavirus vaccines: BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca, and Johnson & Johnson.
The link between vaccination and damage is key
Each case must be handled individually or a settlement will follow.
In all of these lawsuits, the key question is causation: Is there a connection between vaccination and harm? According to lawyers and doctors, experts will ultimately decide on this issue.
Dusseldorf lawyer Tobias Ulbrich expects a "battle of court experts" - if the courts do not immediately pass a "judgment that will intimidate" the plaintiffs, he told the news agency dpa.
First trial soon
The first trial is likely to begin on April 28 at the Frankfurt District Court. The vaccine manufacturer Bajontek from Mainz will be on the dock.
The plaintiff is a woman who claims to have suffered heart damage as a result of a covid vaccination - 19. The woman, who, according to her lawyer, is a medical professional herself, wishes to remain anonymous.
Bayontek: Check each case carefully
Bayontek emphasizes that "so far, in none of the cases they have examined, a causal link between the described health impairments and vaccination with their Kominarti vaccine has been proven."
"We take our responsibility as a vaccine manufacturer very seriously," said the company's spokeswoman. Every case in which lawsuits are filed against that company is carefully examined, however, it is a prerequisite that the lawyers submit sufficient documents.
"When evaluating a case, in order to assess whether there is a cause-and-effect relationship or not, we can rely solely on medical facts. Unfortunately, this is very often not the case."
The one who made the mistake is responsible
In principle, the same liability rules apply to coronavirus vaccines as to other medicines, according to the German Medicines Act or the Product Liability Act.
The manufacturer can be held responsible if there is a fault in the product itself. But, if, for example, there was an error in administering the medicine, then the person who administered the vaccination is responsible.
Many inquiries - few lawsuits
The law firm from Dusseldorf, as stated, had about 3.000 inquiries, which resulted in 810 mandates, of which 135 resulted in lawsuits.
The Wiesbaden law office says they had 850 mandates and 50 lawsuits. And this law office dismissed hundreds of cases, judging that they had no chance in court.
According to experts in this field, these two law firms represent the majority of those who are ready to file a lawsuit.
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