Zoloft Heart Defects Lawsuit Claims Antidepressant Harmed Unborn Daughter

A Zoloft heart defects lawsuit brought before the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania alleges that the antidepressant drug, manufactured by Pfizer, Inc., harmed a Pennsylvania mother’s unborn daughter, causing congenital heart defects that required surgical correction. The suit was filed on June 13, 2013 by a Zoloft birth defects lawyer on behalf of the woman and her daughter, who both suffered immeasurably as a result of Pfizer’s alleged misconduct, including the manufacture and sale of a defective product and the failure to warn consumers about the product’s dangers. The suit seeks compensatory and punitive damages and demands a trial by jury.

Plaintiff took Zoloft while pregnant

Zoloft is an antidepressant, approved by the FDA in 1991 to treat adults with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). The plaintiff was prescribed Zoloft and took it while she was pregnant with her daughter, believing the drug to be safe based on the advice of her doctors and on Pfizer’s marketing materials, product labels, and other warranties of safety. On the contrary, the Zoloft heart defects lawsuit alleges that the product was actually dangerous to human health and unfit and unsuitable to be marketed, sold, and used as intended.

When the plaintiff’s daughter was born, she was discovered to have serious heart defects and required heart reconstructive surgery on her third day of life. The girl had another reconstructive surgery before her first birthday, and another when she was only two years old. She has had to undergo serious medical procedures, hospitalizations, and emergency treatments, and she may yet have to undergo additional procedures and treatments.

Pfizer allegedly knew of dangers

According to the lawsuit, Pfizer had a duty not only to warn doctors, regulators, and consumers about the dangers of its products, but to make sure all product warnings were complete, accurate, and up-to-date. Because Pfizer allegedly knew, or should have known, about the risks Zoloft poses to a developing fetus, the lawsuit claims Pfizer breached that duty.

In particular, Pfizer allegedly knew about research and reports regarding the association between Zoloft and birth defects like heart abnormalities or persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN), which causes breathing and lung function problems. By failing to warn doctors and patients about these risks, Pfizer allegedly misled the public into thinking that Zoloft was safe for use in pregnancy despite having reason to believe that it was not. The plaintiff’s Zoloft birth defects lawyer claims that the plaintiff would not have taken the SSRI antidepressant if she had been adequately informed about the danger.

Zoloft heart defects lawsuit requests punitive damages

Pfizer stands accused of committing negligence, fraud, and breach of warranties and of liability for failure to warn and design defect. Due to Pfizer’s alleged misconduct in the design and manufacture of Zoloft, the plaintiff’s daughter suffered serious heart malformations and physical and emotional pain and suffering, and the plaintiff incurred economic losses in the form of lost wages and earnings. The lawsuit requests compensation for these damages and injuries, as well as for legal costs and attorneys’ fees. Because Pfizer’s conduct was allegedly committed with knowing, conscious, and deliberate disregard for the rights and safety of consumers, the lawsuit also requests punitive damages. Finally, the suit requests any and all further damages the court may deem just, necessary, and proper.