Robert J. Boumis  |  January 17, 2014

Category: Legal News

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Zoloft birth defects lawsuitA mother from Kentucky has filed a Zoloft birth defect lawsuit against drug manufacturer Pfizer. Her lawsuit alleges that Zoloft, an antidepressant manufactured by Pfizer, caused her baby to develop serious birth defects.

The child, identified in court documents only by its initials, was born in 2004 with several serious Zoloft birth defects, including spina bifida and neurogenic bladder, according to the lawsuit.

Spina bifida is a disorder wherein the neural tube does not fully close. In plain terms, the spine does not fully form, and part of the spine is exposed. This often requires surgical intervention and leaves most victims permanently paralyzed from the waist down.

Neurogenic bladder is a condition where a person lacks bladder control due to neurological damage, in this case spina bifida. The child also had several related complications, according to the lawsuit.

The Zoloft lawsuit contends that prior to the birth of the plaintiff’s baby, Pfizer knew, or should have reasonably known, that SSRIs like Zoloft could cause birth defects. The Zoloft lawsuit asserts that even before the drug was approved by the FDA, animal trials had shown that the drug could cause serious birth defects in mammals. This was more than a decade prior to the birth of the plaintiff’s child. The Zoloft lawsuit further asserts that evidence of this risk has continued to amass since then, in the form of research studies, post market reports, and evidence from closely related drugs.

The mother alleges that despite this knowledge of Zoloft birth defects, Pfizer continued to market Zoloft to women of childbearing years, without adequately warning them of this risk.

The Zoloft lawsuit holds that Pfizer continued to market the drug, despite the fact that by 1996, the evidence of a link between the drug and various pregnancy complications had gained considerable strength. Additionally, the Zoloft lawsuit holds that the mother would have never used Zoloft during her pregnancy had she been aware of the risks

The Zoloft Birth Defect lawsuit is Case No. 2:13-cv-07516-CMR.

Help for Victims of SSRI Birth Defects

If you, or someone you care about had a child with severe birth defects after using Zoloft or other SSRIs, you have almost certainly been through a trying ordeal. Serious birth defects force parents to emotionally shift gears from joy at a new child’s birth to concern and strain as they struggle to cope with the new reality of the situation. In addition to the emotional challenges of such a situation, parents face very tangible financial strains, such as hospital bills, lost wages, and possibly the cost of ongoing medical care. When facing such challenges, many people feel overwhelmed, or even depressed.

But you need to remember that regardless of the challenges you’ve found yourself facing, you still have rights, and there are steps that you can take to regain a measure of control over your situation. You can start by obtaining a free case evaluation from a skilled birth defect lawyer by filling out the form on this page now.

In general, birth defect lawsuits are filed individually by each plaintiff and are not class actions.

Do YOU have a legal claim? Fill out the form on this page now for a free, immediate, and confidential case evaluation. The attorneys who work with Top Class Actions will contact you if you qualify to let you know if an individual lawsuit or class action lawsuit is best for you. Hurry — statutes of limitations may apply.

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Join a Free Birth Defect Lawsuit Investigation

If you or a loved one took Zoloft, Prozac, Lexapro, Effexor, Celexa, Cymbalta or Depakote during pregnancy and gave birth to a child with a congenital defect, you may have a legal claim against the drug’s manufacturer. Find out if you qualify to pursue compensation for your child’s medical expenses, pain and suffering, and other damages by filling out the form below now.

An attorney will contact you if you qualify to discuss the details of your potential case.

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Please note: Top Class Actions is not a settlement administrator or law firm. Top Class Actions is a legal news source that reports on class action lawsuits, class action settlements, drug injury lawsuits and product liability lawsuits. Top Class Actions does not process claims and we cannot advise you on the status of any class action settlement claim. You must contact the settlement administrator or your attorney for any updates regarding your claim status, claim form or questions about when payments are expected to be mailed out.