Zoloft Lawsuit Information
Zoloft (sertraline hydrochloride) is a popular antidepressant medication first put on the market in 1991. Medical studies now show that taking Zoloft during pregnancy might pose an increased risk of birth defects in newborns. Hundreds of families have already filed a Zoloft lawsuit to seek compensation for significant injuries and costs. The Zoloft litigation is ongoing while new claims are under review.
Potential for Zoloft Birth Defects
Plaintiffs in Zoloft lawsuits allege that preclinical studies and current medical literature show a link between Zoloft and serious birth defects. Specific birth defects alleged in the pending cases include heart defects, neural tube defects, and anal atresia. The plaintiffs seek to present evidence that the manufacturer was aware of a heightened risk for these side effects in infants but failed to properly warn doctors and patients.
Zoloft Class Action Lawsuit
Families pursuing a Zoloft lawsuit for birth defects are not part of a Zoloft class action proceeding. Rather each claim is filed separately in either state or federal court. The federal court claims have been centralized for certain pretrial purposes in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania (Case No. 2:12-md-02342). All lawsuits for Zoloft birth defects, whether in state court or in the centralized federal action, are litigated and ultimately resolved according to the unique facts and legal damages at issue in each case.
In addition to these personal injury and wrongful death claims, a separate Zoloft class action lawsuit was recently proposed in California federal court (Plumlee v. Pfizer Inc., Case No. 5:13-cv-00414). The plaintiff in the case alleged that medical studies show Zoloft to be no more effective than placebo in treating depression. The complaint alleged the manufacturer intentionally omitted medical studies showing the drug to be ineffective from the product label while running misleading advertisements promoting the medication as effective.
If approved by the court, the Zoloft class action lawsuit would have sought to recover all payments patients made to purchase the drug from the date of its release in 1991 through the present. The court ruled, however, that the case could not proceed because the plaintiff’s claims were barred by the passage of time (she last took the drug in 2008 and the statute of limitations on her case had expired by the time she filed suit in 2013). In ruling on the formation of the Zoloft class action, the court did not make any determinations regarding the merits of the plaintiff’s claims and whether the company falsely stated the efficacy of Zoloft to consumers.
Find a Zoloft Birth Defects Attorney
If your family has been affected by birth defects, you may wish to consult an attorney about filing a Zoloft lawsuit. Our experienced drug injury attorneys can provide a prompt evaluation of your potential claim at no cost, and inform you about what to expect from the litigation process should you choose to move forward with your case. Call (866) 808-2424 or send a message using our brief online form at any time to reach a lawyer in our firm.