Pfizer knew about the link between Zoloft use during pregnancy and birth defects in newborn babies. However, they decided to ignore this crucial patient safety information. A lawyer in the first Zoloft birth defects lawsuit to go to trial shared this with the jury during closing arguments in a state court in St. Louis on April 17, 2015.
The lawyer pointed specifically to an internal document dating before 1991 that included the recommendation that women able to become pregnant shouldn’t use Zoloft due to birth defect risks.
Furthermore, the lawyer argued that, even with knowledge of Zoloft and birth defects risks, Pfizer made no move to issue a sufficient warning. Pfizer didn’t update Zoloft’s drug safety label; therefore, doctors and patients were left in the dark about the dangers of Zoloft use during pregnancy.
The lawyer represents the plaintiffs in the case, the Pesante family, whose son was born with heart defects after his mother consumed Zoloft during pregnancy.
The son’s heart defects required three open-heart surgeries. Only a month after being born, the boy received a pacemaker.
In a Bloomberg article about the Zoloft trial, the defendants argued in their closing statement that Pfizer did issue warnings, and that these warnings were approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Now, it is up to the jury to decide if Pfizer did indeed issue a sufficient warning, or if the company should be held liable for the harm done to the Pesante family and their son.
We can help your family
Carey Danis & Lowe is a St. Louis law firm that currently represents families whose children have been harmed by Zoloft in the womb. Our defective drug lawyers work tirelessly to recover losses for our clients.
If you would like to discuss your case with us, we are available by phone at 800.721.2519; you can also reach us by completing a confidential personal injury claim form.
We offer free case evaluations, and can help you decide if filing a Zoloft lawsuit is the right decision for you and your family.
