Plaintiff Born with Birth Defects Joins Zoloft Lawsuit MDL
By Andrea Gressman
Depression treatments are touted as a way to reclaim your life from a serious illness. Less obviously marketed are the serious side effects associated with antidepressants, allege Plaintiffs involved in litigation against Pfizer currently working its way through the court system as the Zoloft lawsuit MDL. These Plaintiffs say Zoloft caused serious birth defects – a side effect drug maker Pfizer did not warn consumers about. As a result, the SSRI antidepressant has been prescribed to pregnant women, putting them at risk for giving birth to a less than healthy child.
On July 16, 2012, another Zoloft birth defect lawsuit was added to the Zoloft MDL. The case was filed by Tyreke Reese, who was born with an atrial septal defect (ASD) and other conditions her mother believes were directly caused by her use of Zoloft while she was pregnant with Reese.
The crux of Reese’s Zoloft lawsuit is that Pfizer knew – or should have known from extensive studies of the drug – that taking Zoloft while pregnant can cause birth defects. As a result of a lack of research or a lack of research communication about birth defects from SSRI antidepressants, Reese’s mother was prescribed Zoloft and Reese now faces a lifetime of medical challenges. She will have to be medically monitored for the rest of her life, and may require additional surgeries on her heart.
According to her Zoloft birth defect lawsuit, Reese states that Pfizer did not communicate the risks of birth defects from SSRI antidepressants to the medical community, and as a result, many other doctors may have prescribed Zoloft to expecting mothers. Her lawsuit within the Zoloft MDL charges Pfizer with the following:
* Defective design
* Negligence
* Fraudulent representation
Reese claims that Pfizer fraudulently represented the safety of Zoloft to patients and doctors, which resulted in her own birth defects and the potential for birth defects in other similarly affected children.
Pfizer Ignores Zoloft Side Effects
Zoloft was approved for use by the FDA in December 1991. Since then, it has been widely prescribed, but patients have found it to be less than perfect. Despite known issues, Pfizer pushed for it to be expanded to treat the following conditions:
* Obsessive compulsive disorders (OCD)
* Premenstrual dysphoric disorder
* Social anxiety disorders
Even as complaints mounted, Pfizer did nothing to take the drug off the market.
Patients Fight Back by Filing Zoloft Lawsuits
Multiple lawsuits have been filed against Pfizer over Zoloft birth defects. In April 2012, these individual Zoloft lawsuits were consolidated into a multidistrict litigation known as the Zoloft MDL. This litigation is being heard in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, presided over by the Honorable Cynthia M. Rufe, with new cases from around the country being added to the MDL proceedings as they are discovered.
If you or someone you know was prescribed Zoloft during pregnancy and later had a child born with a birth defect, visit the Zoloft SSRI Antidepressant Birth Defect Class Action Lawsuit Investigation page. Submit your information and receive a free consultation from a Zoloft birth defect attorney. They will be able to advise you of your rights as well as the best options for you and your child to pursue compensation.
Updated August 24th, 2012
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