Couple Says Zoloft Birth Defects Caused Infant’s Death
By Christina Drury
A new lawsuit has been filed against Pfizer and their SSRI antidepressant Zoloft. On December 7, 2012, an Illinois couple brought new allegations against the drug manufacturing giant in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The plaintiffs claim that their son died as a result of hypoplastic left heart syndrome and syndactyly from exposure to Zoloft before his birth. Among the counts listed against Pfizer are:
Breach of express and implied warranties
Design defect
Failure to warn
Fraudulent misrepresentation
Loss of consortium and pecuniary loss
Negligence
Punitive damages
Wrongful death
The couple is seeking economic, actual, general and special damages, as well as earnings capacity, medical expenses and other costs through a Zoloft birth defect lawsuit settlement.
Lawsuit States Zoloft Pregnancy Warning was Not Adequate
The couple’s Zoloft birth defect lawsuit joins the Zoloft multidistrict litigation that has been growing against Pfizer since the link between the SSRI and birth defects was made. The Zoloft birth defect lawyer representing the couple in the Zoloft lawsuit stated that Pfizer had an obligation to maintain proper and adequate warnings about their product within the medical community. The Zoloft birth defect lawsuit also alleges that the warning inserts included in the Zoloft packaging had false or misleading information and left out pertinent information that would have been useful to those taking the SSRI drug.
Lawsuit Claims Pfizer Should Have Known About Zoloft Pregnancy Side Effects
The plaintiffs state that the defendant should have warned Zoloft users of the potential risks to an unborn fetus, but failed to do so. The lawsuit outlines that Pfizer knew or should have known of the dangerous pregnancy side effects of SSRI antidepressants, like Zoloft, could cause to the plaintiff’s unborn baby, which includes several congenital birth defects. The plaintiffs also claim that Pfizer had knowledge of or should have had knowledge that women who were taking the SSRI drug while pregnant had given birth to babies with persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN), as well as heart defects and several other conditions. Pfizer is also accused of withholding information and data from consumers, the FDA and the medical community that was already readily available to the drug company.
What to Do if You Have Been Affected
Links between Zoloft and potentially dangerous and fatal side effects have brought about several lawsuits against Pfizer. If you or someone you know has taken Zoloft while pregnant and has given birth to a baby with a congenital birth defect, you may be eligible to receive compensation. Please visit our Zoloft, Paxil, Celexa, Lexapro & Prozac SSRI Antidepressant Birth Defect Class Action Lawsuit Investigation page for more information and legal advice on your potential lawsuit. On our site you can submit your information to a highly knowledgeable team that can advise you on your legal options. Depending on your individual circumstances, you may be entitled to compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering and other costs directly caused by side effects of Zoloft.
Updated January 9th, 2013
All medical device, dangerous drug and medical class action and lawsuit news updates are listed in the Drug and Medical Device section of Top Class Actions.
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