Zoloft Lawsuits

Zoloft, also known as Sertraline is the brand name of an oral antidepressant medication. Zoloft is a member of a class of drugs that are called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI). Zoloft and other SSRIs are prescribed in order to level the chemicals in the brain that affect mood. However, Zoloft users have been experiencing serious medical side effects.

One of the dangerous side effects associated with Zoloft is what is known as persistent pulmonary hypertension in newborns (PPHN). PPHN occurs most likely in newborns whose birth mothers have taken Zoloft in the first trimester of pregnancy.

In February 2009, a report in the New England Journal of Medicine stated that PPHN is a serious condition that occurs when “pulmonary arterial pressure remains high after birth and poorly oxygenated blood continues to be shunted to the systemic circulation.” This can result in a lack of necessary oxygen to the brain of a newborn. In some cases death has occurred. Zoloft lawsuits have been filed against the pharmaceutical manufacturer of Zoloft, Pfizer, Inc. because of the problem with newborns had been known, warnings would have been issued to prevent physicians and their patients from taking Zoloft and avoiding these dangers and injuries. In a class action case brought against Pfizer, it is alleged that the company deliberately misled patients, consumers regarding the effectiveness of Zoloft as an antidepressant. The class action case was filed in January 2013 against Pfizer claiming that marketed Zoloft to be a safe medicine for treatment of depression. The lawsuit alleges that Pfizer misrepresented to patients and doctors the truth about the clinical trials that proved that the drug was not safe and was not as effective as promoted by the company.

PPHN can be treated to remedy immediate symptoms. However, because of the oxygen deprivation that a newborn had experienced because of PPHN, serious brain damage can appear later. In fact, it has been documented that many children who have had PPHN-related symptoms at birth may develop health issues, developmental delays and other problems years later. Other birth defects related to mothers taking Zoloft during pregnancy included: abdominal birth defects; autism spectrum disorders; heart valve defects; cleft lip or cleft palate; lung defects; brain and spinal cord defects; pulmonary hypertension; clubfoot; skull defects; leg and arm deformities; atrial septal defects; holes in the heart.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have now provided important warnings regarding SSRIs, which includes the drug Zoloft. The FDA warning states that exposure to SSRIs during the first trimester of a woman’s pregnancy has been associated to respiratory complications that include persistent pulmonary hypertension of a newborn (PPHN).

The filing of Zoloft lawsuits against the pharmaceutical manufacturers have been for lack of warnings to expectant mothers and physicians regarding Zoloft and other brand name antidepressants. Zoloft users may experience many varied side effects that include agitation, anxiety, sexual dysfunction, suicide ideation, convulsions, tremors and lower heart rate.

If you or someone you know has been injured as a result of taking the pharmaceutical product, Zoloft, please call us for an immediate free consultation. Robert Kreisman of Kreisman Law Offices has been handling pharmaceutical defect cases for more than 40 years. A lawsuit brought against Pfizer for damages suffered by a newborn child would seek compensation payment for the future needed medical care which could be a lifetime of special medical requirements. The medical bills for the care and comfort of a child born with birth defects caused by the use of Zoloft could be enormous.

There are more than 250 individual lawsuits filed against Pfizer. These cases have been combined for discovery purposes in the multidistrict litigation program in the United States District Court (the MDL). In addition there are more than 90 lawsuits filed by families alleging that Zoloft was the cause of the severe and permanent birth defects. In those cases the parents seeks damages to manage the health care costs needed to care for their children.

With our years of experience in trying and settling pharmaceutical defect cases around the country, Kreisman Law Offices provides the best possible services to our clients. Our service is unmatched. Please call us 24 hours a day at 312.346.0045 or toll free 800.583.8002 for a free and immediate consultation, or complete a contact form online.

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