The first Zoloft birth defect trial that’s part of the ongoing Zoloft MDL will go to court in March of 2016. This trial is one of the few bellwether cases that have been chosen as part of the overall process. An MDL, or multidistrict litigation, is one large legal action that consists of many combined individual legal claims. When an MDL is formed, a few individual cases are chosen to move forward before the others so that those involved with all of the claims can get a feel for how the entire issue may play out. These individual claims are known as bellwether cases.
What Is the Significance of This Step?
The significance of scheduling the first Zoloft bellwether trial is that the matter will now move forward in a tangible manner. This Zoloft lawsuit will in many ways set the tone for how all of the other Zoloft lawsuits are handled. For instance, if this trial leads to a favorable result for the consumer, it could prompt Pfizer, the manufacturer of Zoloft, to begin to engage in serious settlement negotiations in order to avoid substantial liability if all of the other claims that are part of the Zoloft MDL proceed through a trial and verdict.
How Did the Zoloft MDL Come About?
The Zoloft MDL came about in much the same way that other MDLs have arisen, in that a large number of individual consumers filed Zoloft lawsuits against Pfizer. The claims made were largely similar, and ultimately an MDL was formed in order to consolidate these claims. An MDL is formed as a matter of fairness and expediency. That’s because an MDL leads to faster results for consumers. An MDL also prevents the possibility that different results will be reached in different individual cases and it avoids duplicative discovery. Overall, an MDL serves the interests of both sides of an issue.
The Zoloft MDL came about because hundreds of people around the United States filed Zoloft lawsuits against Pfizer. The basis of their claim was that women who used Zoloft while pregnant had children who were born with serious birth defects and malformations. Zoloft is an antidepressant medication. Consumers involved in these cases also allege that Pfizer knew or should have known about the risks of birth defects associated with the use of this drug.
What If My Child Has Suffered Because of Zoloft?
If you used Zoloft while you were pregnant and your child was born with birth defects that you believe may be due to your use of the medication, you need to take immediate action to protect the legal rights of your family. Your first step should be to seek sound legal advice so that you can make the best decision possible regarding how you should proceed. You can obtain that advice by contacting the Zoloft side effects lawyers at Parilman & Associates to schedule a free initial consultation. You can either email the firm or call 800-800-DRUG.
