Zoloft Lawsuit

SSRI antidepressants including the popular drugs Zoloft, Lustral or Serlain (Generic: sertraline) have been linked to variety of severe birth defects including Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension (PPHN), heart, lung, abdominal and cranial defects.

Zoloft Lawsuit Update 12/10/12: The first cases brought over birth defects allegedly caused by Pfizer’s controversial antidepressant Zoloft are set to kick off in September 2014, according to a recent scheduling order issued by the federal judge presiding over the multidistrict litigation (MDL). To date, there are approximately 250 Zoloft birth defect lawsuits pending in the MDL, all of which were brought on behalf of children who were born with severe congenital abnormalities after their mothers took Zoloft during pregnancy. Click here to learn more.

Zoloft Lawsuit Update 4/20/12: A panel of federal judges has decided that all Zoloft birth defect legal claims filed against Pfizer on the federal level will be consolidated before one judge as part of a multidistrict litigation (MDL). The move affects nearly 100 lawsuits filed in a half dozen federal districts throughout the United States, as well as any new federal Zoloft birth defects cases filed in the future. Click here to learn more.

If you or a loved one have taken Zoloft, Lustral or Serlain while pregnant and given birth to a child with a congenital birth defect, you should contact us immediately. You may be entitled to compensation by filing a Zoloft lawsuit and we can help.

Zoloft Lawsuit Update: Schmidt & Clark, LLP continues to be contacted by a large number of mothers, fathers and family members of babies born with birth defects directly related to the use of Zoloft during pregnancy. It is important to remember that you are not alone, and the birth defects that your child was born with are not your fault.

Drug manufacturers have a responsibility to warn patients and doctors of the known risks in taking medications while pregnant. When drug manufacturers fail to warn consumers, they must be held accountable. The filing of a Zoloft lawsuit will never heal the emotional devastation of knowing that your child’s birth defect could have been prevented, however it can assist you and your family in the paying of medical bills, covering future healthcare costs and give you the satisfaction of knowing that you/we will not stand by and let a giant pharmaceutical company put their profits over the safety of American consumers and their families.

Michael E. Schmidt, Managing Partner of Schmidt & Clark, LLP, has stated, “Our law firm has represented thousands of victims in pharmaceutical side effect and recall lawsuit. However, as a father of four, this particular litigation [Zoloft birth defects] really strikes home. We intend to passionately represent the children and families affected by the manufacturer’s inability to warn the mothers of the potential for Zoloft induced birth defects when taking this drug while pregnant.”

FDA Video: SSRI Antidepressant Birth Defects

Below is an excellent video produced by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), which warns patients and physicians of serious, life-threatening birth defects linked to SSRI antidepressants.

Read the Full Transcript: SSRI Antidepressant Birth Defects

Congenital Heart Defects

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration has warned doctors and patients that exposure to SSRI’s such as Zoloft during pregnancy pose a serious risk to the fetus and has been linked to an increased risk of Congenital Heart Defects.

More specifically, the most common form of Zoloft induced heart birth defects observed by our firm has been either Atrial Septal Defects or Ventricular Septal Defects.

Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn (PPHN)

Recently, The New England Journal of Medicine released the results of a case-controlled study wherein SSRI’s including Zoloft were linked to an increased risk of an infant being born with Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn (PPHN).

Shortly after the aforementioned study was released, the FDA issued another Public Health Advisory warning that exposure to Zoloft during pregnancy posed a serious risk to the fetus and was linked to an increased risk of PPHN.

Abdominal & Cranial Birth Defects

According to information released from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study of Infants, SSRI antidepressants like Zoloft may cause two separate congenital abnormalities called Omphalocele and Craniosynostosis.

Omphalocele is a congenital (present at birth) abdominal wall defect at the base of the umbilical cord (umbilicus); the infant is born with a sac protruding through the defect which contains small intestine, liver, and large intestine.

Craniosynostosis is a congenital (present at birth) defect that causes one or more sutures on a baby’s head to close earlier than normal. Sutures are connections that separate each individual skull bones. The early closing of a suture leads to an abnormally shaped head.

Zoloft and Autism

A study published in the July 2011 Archives of General Psychiatry found that women who took an SSRI antidepressant like Zoloft while pregnant were twice as likely to give birth to a child with an autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) than mothers who did not. ASDs are a group of complex developmental disabilities that cause problems with social interaction and communication. The scientists who conducted the study have advised doctors and patients to carefully weigh the benefits vs. risks of taking antidepressants carefully before beginning a regiment.

Known Zoloft Side Effects

Withdrawal
Birth Defects
Congenital Heart Defects, Atrial or Ventricular Septal Defects (hole in heart)
Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn (PPHN)
Abdominal Birth Defects / Omphalocele
Cranial Birth Defects / Craniosynostosis

Birth Defects Linked to Antidepressants – What Type of Zoloft Lawsuits Are Being Filed?

Our lawyers are filing Zoloft lawsuits for injured individuals and families for the following life-threatening birth defects that have been linked to the use of Zoloft and other antidepressants:

Do I have a Zoloft Lawsuit?

The Defective Drug Litigation Group at our law firm is an experienced team of trial lawyers that focus exclusively on the representation of plaintiffs in Zoloft lawsuits. We are handling individual litigation nationwide and currently accepting new Zoloft birth defect lawsuits in all 50 states.

Our Zoloft lawyers have decades of experience and the resources you need to effectively hold the manufacturers of Zoloft responsible for their failure to warn expectant mothers of the risks in taking Zoloft while pregnant.

The initial steps in filing a Zoloft lawsuit are simple. First, it is important to understand that our law firm works on a contingency basis, which means that we do not charge for our legal services unless we file and successfully receive a settlement or verdict on your behalf. So, if you or a loved one has taken Zoloft, Lustral or Serlain while pregnant and given birth to a child with a congenital birth defect, you should contact us immediately for a free confidential evaluation of your potential lawsuit. You may be entitled to compensation by filing a Zoloft lawsuit and we can help.