‘Inhumane’: Utah mom slaps drug company with lawsuit after suffering COVID vaccine trial injuries

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Brianne Dressen, a participant in the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine trial, says the drug company needs to be "held accountable"

Brianne Dressen shared with Fox News Digital why she decided to file a lawsuit against AstraZeneca after taking part in their COVID-19 vaccine trial.

EXCLUSIVE: A Utah mother says she was left with "no choice" but to sue a pharmaceutical company on the basis of a breached contract that promised to provide compensation for injuries caused by a clinical trial for the COVID-19 vaccine.

Brianne Dressen, a mother of two, enrolled in a clinical trial for AstraZeneca in November 2020, taking only one dose of the vaccine before her "life changed forever." 

The mother suffered severe injuries after taking the vaccine. She shared her emotional story in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital on how it had a "dramatic" change on her family's life, as well as her feeling abandoned by the pharmaceutical company as she juggles her mounting medical bills.

"I didn't want to do this," Dressen told Fox, adding that the drug company "left me no choice." Dressen said she has experienced "three and a half years of silence" from AstraZeneca, filing the lawsuit in an effort to bring attention to the issue.

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Brianne Dressen was diagnosed with "post-vaccine neuropathy" after taking part in a COVID-19 clinical trial. (Brianne Dressen)

"We gave them ample opportunities to pitch in and to help in any way, shape or form as they agreed to in the contract. And it just hasn't happened," Dresson said. "So, my hands are tied. I mean, I'm not going to roll over and die because of what they did. So it's time for them to be held accountable."

Dressen's suit against AstraZeneca was filed on the basis that the company breached their contract with her that she signed before taking part in the clinical trial. According to the lawsuit, ahead of her involvement in the trial, the drug company reportedly said she would receive medical and financial support if injuries were suffered as a result of the vaccine.

Dressen, who was diagnosed by the National Institute of Health (NIH) with "post-vaccine neuropathy," says the company offered her a settlement of around $1,200 for her lifelong injuries.

Dressen is the mother of two children, a role she says has been impacted by the vaccine injuries. (Brianne Dressen)

Dressen added that given the contract, she has "no idea" why they aren't aiding in her medical expenses.

The lawsuit is the first filed against AstraZeneca in the U.S., as it relates to the coronavirus vaccine trial, but the drug company faces over 50 others in Europe who brought claims against the company either citing injuries from the vaccine or representing loved ones that passed away after taking the shot.

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Amid the controversy, the pharmaceutical company pulled its COVID-19 vaccine from European markets in May, citing a decline in demand as the reasoning behind the decision.

When asked about the other ongoing legal action against the company, Dressen said "it absolutely breaks my heart that they're getting the same treatment from the drug companies as I am," calling the situation "inhumane."

Dressen described herself as active and loving the outdoors, activities she has had to give up since being diagnosed with "post-vaccine neuropathy." (Brianne Dressen)

"I'm hopeful that this brings a little bit of light to just what happens when things don't go the way that the drug company wants," Dressen said when asked about the outcome of the lawsuit. "It didn't matter what I did, how cooperative I was. You know how many times I cried out for help? It didn't matter the second I was injured, I was then considered a liability. And if this is how the drug companies in general, you know, operate, especially in clinical trials, I think it's something that people need to be aware of."

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Dressen added that the issue is not unique to coronavirus vaccines but applies to any pharmaceutical company in a similar situation.

"If you are harmed by a COVID vaccine or any vaccine or any pharmaceutical product for that matter, you should be able to get help," she said.