Mt. Lebanon Family's Drug Company Lawsuit Heads To US Supreme Court

A Mt. Lebanon couple’s lawsuit against a drug company is headed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Russell and Robalee Bruesewitz claim their daughter, Hannah, started having seizures just two hours after she got her third diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus vaccine in 1992. Hannah was then just six months old.

“As I put her to bed, she screamed, she got stiff and turned blue, and I dialed 911 and that started our journey,” Robalee Bruesewitz said.

The Bruesewitzes said Hannah, now 18, still has seizures and they strongly believe the vaccine is what caused her neurological damage. She uses an interactive machine to communicate. Her parents said Hannah went from being normal to needing medical care around the clock.

Several years ago, the Bruesewitzes filed a lawsuit against the drug manufacturer Wyeth, a subsidiary of Pfizer. The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia blocked their claims because it ruled families needed proof vaccines caused damage to their children.

The case is now in the hands of the U.S. Supreme Court. It will determine if Hannah’s parents can pursue their lawsuit.

“Pfizer is pleased that the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to resolve this legal issue,” company spokesman Chris Loder said in a statement.

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