More Plaintiffs Suing Pfizer Over Zoloft Birth Defects

Plaintiff’s Child Suffered Severe Zoloft Birth Defects

In a recent Zoloft lawsuit, the plaintiff alleges that she followed her doctor’s recommendation and took Zoloft during her pregnancy. She gave birth to a son with serious Zoloft birth defects. He was diagnosed with congestive heart failure, heart murmur, general developmental delay and failure to thrive. He was also diagnosed with an endocardial cushion defect, a condition in which the walls separating the heart chambers are poorly formed or absent. Surgery is generally recommended to fix this heart abnormality.

The child underwent surgery when he was three months old. However, he continued to have serious health problems. He was not gaining weight, had breathing difficulties and continued to show signs that he was failing to thrive. As a result of her son’s Zoloft birth defects, the plaintiff has been under significant financial stress, according to her Zoloft lawsuit attorney. She has been forced to take time off of work to care for her son, who has suffered greatly from the birth defects and is unlikely to enjoy a normal life. The plaintiff has sued Pfizer, seeking compensation for medical expenses, lost wages and emotional distress. She is also seeking punitive damages against the company.

Zoloft Birth Defect Lawsuits in MDL

Hundreds of plaintiffs have filed lawsuits against Pfizer, the manufacturer of Zoloft, claiming that the antidepressant drug can cause serious birth defects. The federal Zoloft lawsuits were consolidated into multidistrict litigation (MDL) in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in 2012. All of the pretrial proceedings in these Zoloft birth defects lawsuits will be handled by Judge Cynthia Rufe.

All of the plaintiffs involved in the MDL took Zoloft while pregnant, and allege that their children suffered moderate to life-threatening birth defects. They claim they would not have taken Zoloft had they been aware of the drug’s adverse effects on their unborn children. They claim that their children suffered serious birth defects, some of which required surgery to fix the conditions. Other children have died from Zoloft birth defects.

If you took Zoloft or another SSRI antidepressant during your pregnancy and your child suffered birth defects, you may be able to join other plaintiffs in the current MDL. If your Zoloft lawsuit is successful, you could receive significant compensation for the expenses and emotional distress you experienced due to your child’s Zoloft birth defects.