Zoloft Claims
Zoloft, manufactured by Pfizer, Inc., is one of several antidepressants called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or SSRIs. It has been linked to possible risks of developmental birth defects and persistent pulmonary hypertension (PPHN) in newborn infants whose mothers took Zoloft during pregnancy, serious withdrawal symptoms in patients who discontinue use and in infants whose mother took Zoloft during pregnancy, increased suicide in both children and adults, and to an increased risk of bone loss in older patients. There have been numerous lawsuits by individuals to recover damages for injury from suicide, suicide attempts, and painful withdrawal symptoms that the patients or mothers of infants were not told about before they took Zoloft and other antidepressants.
Because warnings about the dangers of suicide with antidepressant use have now been in place for some time, doctors who prescribe these medications, including Zoloft, are well aware of the risks. It will be very difficult to bring suit against the manufacturers of these drugs for suicide attempts that happened after the warnings were in place, though it may be possible to sue a doctor for prescribing the drug or for not monitoring the patient properly for suicidal tendencies.
The dangers of birth defects and other difficulties suffered by infants have not been admitted by the manufacturers, and the manufacturers of Zoloft, and most other antidepressants, have not warned doctors and the public about these dangers. This means that the manufacturers could be liable for birth defects and other problems suffered by infants whose mothers took antidepressants during pregnancy. Several lawsuits have already been filed, though the most publicized have concerned Paxil, a SSRI linked to slightly different birth defects than Zoloft in some studies. The first suit involving an infant born with a serious and potentially life-threatening lung condition, persistent pulmonary hypertension (PPHN) after its mother took Paxil was filed in 2006. The 2006 study that linked Paxil to PPHN also found that Zoloft increased the risk.
Critics have claimed that Pfizer, Zolofts manufacturer, and other antidepressant manufacturers have made efforts to keep information about the effectiveness of antidepressants away from doctors and the public in an effort to keep pregnant women and others on the medications, in spite of the risks. This could increase the manufacturers responsibility for harm that results.
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Allen
Frisco
McKinney
Plano
Lewisville
Denton
Rockwall
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If you feel that you have been injured through the use of Zoloft and need a personal injury lawyer for advice and representation, please contact us to set up an appointment with an attorney for a free consultation.
