Wis. Parents Sue Pfizer for Alleged Zoloft Birth Defects

Wisconsin parents Jennifer and Dale Harris are suing Pfizer Inc. for the severe birth defects their minor child H.J.H allegedly suffered due to Zoloft side effects. The couple alleges that their son was born with severe cardiac birth defects as a result of Mrs. Harris ingesting Zoloft while pregnant.

The minor plaintiff was born on Sept. 8, 2001 with severe birth defects and cardiac complications, including: atrial septal defect, ventricular septal defect, patent foramen ovale, and right ventricular outflow tract obstruction defects.   The boy needed immediate medical attention after his birth, and will continue to need serious medical intervention throughout his life, according to the Zoloft lawsuit.

Mrs. Harris was first prescribed Zoloft  before her pregnancy to treat her depression.  According to the Zoloft lawsuit, there were no warnings or indications on the drug’s label to indicate the possible occurrence of this event.  Additionally, Zoloft was specifically advertised as safe to ingest to pregnant mothers, suggesting that the product was safe for her to ingest.

Instead, her child was born with severe birth defects, which some studies suggest can occur in children born to mother who take Zoloft, especially during the first trimester.  This directly contradicts the product’s label, the couple says, causing them to file the product liability lawsuit against Pfizer.  The plaintiffs allege that the company had the responsibility to disclose these details to them because they were relying on the accuracy of the given information at the time.

So for being directly responsible for manufacturing, marketing, distributing, and selling a dangerous drug, Harris and her husband are suing Pfizer Inc.  The charges include: negligence, false advertising, concealing information, and misrepresenting a product.

Overview of Zoloft Birth Defect Complications

Zoloft (Sertraline) is a powerful antidepressant  manufactured by Pfizer prescribed to treat major forms of depression.  It was first approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1991, and was marketed a year later, after the label was finalized.  Zoloft is a part of a drug family called SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors). These drugs were recently developed in an effort to create a less severe mood stabilizing medication.  Unlike other antidepressants, Zoloft and other SSRIs only target the specific malfunction in the brain, and directly counteract it.

Unfortunately, certain side effects which come with Zoloft and other SSRIs were not mentioned on the warning labels, leading to a mass litigation movement against the company.

Pfizer had conducted an in-house study on mice, measuring the drug’s likelihood to cause birth defects.  The studies concluded that Zoloft caused birth defects in the mice, making it one of the most conclusive pieces of evidence to indicate the potential of this side effect.  Despite this, Pfizer did not mention this on Zoloft’s warning label, and even marketed the drug toward pregnant women.

Zoloft Litigation Movement

At this time, there are more than 430 similar Zolfot birth defect lawsuits consolidated into multidistrict litigation (MDL) centered in the United States District Court of Pennsylvania.  The first bellwether trials of the Zoloft MDL are scheduled to begin on or about October 13, 2014.  The cases to represent the MDL have yet to be decided, and there’s still time to file a lawsuit and join the MDL to pursue compensation for damages.

The Zoloft MDL is In Re: Zoloft (Sertraline Hydrochloride) Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2342, in the United states District Court of Eastern Pennsylvania.

File a Birth Defect Lawsuit Today

If you took an antidepressant such as Celexa, Lexapro, Paxil, Prozac, Zoloft or Effexor and your child was born with one or more birth defects, you may qualify to pursue compensation from the drug manufacturer. Your child must be under the age of 18 and had surgery to correct his or congenital defects. Learn more and obtain a free case review at the SSRI Antidepressant Birth Defect Class Action Lawsuit Investigation.