New Zoloft Birth Defect Lawsuit Filed Against Pfizer

By Sarah Mirando | August 15, 2012

Category: Pharmaceuticals

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By Sarah Pierce

A new lawsuit filed July 27, 2012 accuses Pfizer of failing to warn a mother that taking Zoloft during pregnancy could harm her baby. The woman is seeking punitive damages and financial compensation for her son, who was born with multiple Zoloft birth defects.

Plaintiff Caitlyn Falcon alleges in the Zoloft birth defect lawsuit that her son was born with serious birth defects as a result of her taking Zoloft throughout her pregnancy. Falcon claims Pfizer did not provide any clear warning of the increased risk of Zoloft birth defects, and is asking for more than $75,000 in damages. Zoloft’s label includes many side effects and risks of the drug, but provides no clear indication of whether Zoloft is safe to take during pregnancy.

Pfizer responded to Falcon’s Zoloft birth defect lawsuit by denying any negligence or breach of contract, and refuses to provide evidence showing that it did adequately warn pregnant women of the risks of Zoloft use. The case has been moved to a New Jersey federal court where it awaits resolution.

Over recent months, Pfizer has been hit with an increasing number of lawsuits alleging it failed to adequately warn women that taking Zoloft during pregnancy can increase the risk of birth defects. So many Zoloft birth defects have been filed, in fact, that a multidistrict litigation (MDL) was established in April 2012 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania to handle them. The new Zoloft lawsuit MDL will help streamline the pretrial procedures and hopefully lead to faster resolution.

Plaintiffs in the Zoloft lawsuit MDL allege that Pfizer failed to adequately warn pregnant women and medical professionals that Zoloft can cause permanent, even fatal, injuries to infants exposed to the drug while in the womb, including heart defects, cranial defects, organ malformations, limb deformities, spina bifida, cleft lip, cleft palate, PPHN, and more. A key element in their lawsuits is that Pfizer knew of these Zoloft birth defects as early as 1991, when it conducted a preclinical animal study of the drug before it was approved that revealed Zoloft could cause significant harm during fetal development. Despite being aware of these risks from its own study, Pfizer failed to warn the public in order to get the drug on the market and make a profit.

If your child was born with a birth defect you believe was caused by Zoloft or another SSRI antidepressant such as Paxil, Celexa, Lexapro or Prazac, a Zoloft lawyer can help you seek compensation for your child’s medical expenses, pain and suffering, and more.

Visit the Zoloft, Paxil, Celexa, Lexapro & Prozac SSRI Antidepressant Birth Defect Class Action Lawsuit Investigation for more information. Zoloft attorneys are waiting to hear from you, and will provide a free consultation about whether you have a case to file a Zoloft birth defect lawsuit, Zoloft class action lawsuit, or to join the Zoloft lawsuit MDL. These lawyers never charge for this consultation.

Updated August 15th, 2012

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