Photo of Bexis

We’ll have a full report on Monday, but the decision of the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals in White v. Wyeth, No. 35296, slip op. (W.V. Dec. 17, 2010), is sufficiently important that we had to throw something up today.  The two most important syllabus points say it all:

5. A private cause of action brought pursuant to the provisions of West Virginia Code § 46A-6-106(a) (2005) of the West Virginia Consumer Credit and Protection Act must allege: (1) unlawful conduct by a seller; (2) an ascertainable loss on the part of the consumer; and (3) proof of a causal connection between the alleged unlawful conduct and the consumer’s ascertainable loss. Where the alleged deceptive conduct or practice involves affirmative misrepresentations, reliance on such misrepresentations must be proven in order to satisfy the requisite causal connection.

 

6. The private cause of action afforded consumers under West Virginia Code § 46A-6-106(a) (2005) does not extend to prescription drug purchases.

A most deserving hat tip goes to Tom Hurney at Jackson Kelly.