The Current Status of the SSRI Lawsuit

Claims Filed Against SSRI Manufacturers

Many of the past and current lawsuits against the SSRI drug manufacturers, including Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline, Eli Lilly and Company, and Forest Laboratories, involve suicides and birth defects. In 2003, Eli Lilly and Company, the manufacturer of Prozac®, settled a case with the parents of a South Carolina teenage boy who committed suicide three weeks after beginning treatment.

In 2012, three mothers filed lawsuits in a St. Louis court against Forest Laboratories, the manufacturer of Lexapro®. Their claims included limb and other birth defects suffered after being prescribed the drug during pregnancy.

GlaxoSmithKline, the manufacturer of Paxil®, has settled over 800 cases involving birth defects, paying plaintiffs roughly $1.2 million each. Numerous suicide and attempted suicide cases caused by Paxil® have also been settled for $390 million.

If you have been injured by a defective drug, Speak with an Attorney

In addition to increasing the risk of suicide and birth defects, claims against the manufacturers of SSRI antidepressants may also include:

• Failure to properly research, manufacture, and market the drugs
• Failure to adequately warn doctors and patients of the potential risks
• Falsely marketing drugs as safe for use during pregnancy or for use by children
• Mispackaging or mislabeling drugs
• Falsely marketing drugs as non-habit forming

Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) for SSRI Lawsuit

Multidistrict litigation (MDL) consolidates similar cases against a common defendant to expedite the evidence discovery process before the individual trials begin. By grouping cases together under one presiding judge, MDL can eliminate conflicting rulings from separate courts.

MDL vs. Class Action

MDL groups similar cases together for pretrial processing, but individual cases remain separate. This results in plaintiffs receiving individualized settlements that are based on the actual damages they have suffered. With MDL, plaintiffs typically receive a larger settlement than they would through a class action lawsuit.

Class action groups all plaintiffs into a single lawsuit against a common defendant. When the case is finalized, each plaintiff receives an equal percentage of the total award or settlement. Participating in a class action suit eliminates your ability to file an individual claim at a later date.

SSRI MDL Cases

Several hundred lawsuits against Pfizer and Zoloft® have been consolidated under MDL in a Pennsylvania district court, with many of these cases still pending.

In 2006, cases against Celexa® and the manufacturer Forest Laboratories were transferred to the Eastern District Court of Missouri for MDL. As of the publication of this article, 32 cases have been settled. In 2013, the presiding judge determined that enough progress had been made in this litigation to transfer the remaining cases back to their originating courts.

In 2009, an MDL was established for cases against Celexa® and Forest Laboratories for the illegal marketing of the drug to children. These cases were settled in 2010 for $300 million.

Contact an Experienced Attorney

If you or a loved one has suffered injuries after taking an SSRI antidepressant, please contact an experienced defective drug attorney in your area today to schedule a complimentary case evaluation.