The birth defect attorneys of the Birth Defect Law Center said today that progress is being made in pharmaceutical cases that the firm is handling in the San Diego County Court of Common Pleas.
The Birth Defect Law Center, currently is representing clients in a Mass Tort that is being litigated in the Court, In re Topamax Litigation. According to the Court’s website, a status conference will be held in the litigation on January 6.
Meanwhile, the Birth Defect Law Center, and other attorneys representing plaintiffs in more than 50 Zoloft cases, are awaiting a decision on whether the Court will designate the cases as a Mass Tort. Earlier this month, the cases were sent back to the Court after the defendants had attempted to have them removed to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Both the Topamax and Zoloft cases are being litigated in Philadelphia’s Complex Litigation Center, which is the first courthouse in the U.S. that has been designed exclusively for handling complex Mass Tort cases and is under the administration of the Honorable Sandra Mazer-Moss.
“Mass Tort cases involve a large number of lawsuits that are associated with a single product and involve similar factual and legal issues,” said BDS, whose Birth Defects Law Firm represents clients in dangerous drug cases throughout the U.S. “When cases are designated as a Mass Tort, it allows the litigation process to be more streamlined and efficient for all parties.”
“In the Topamax litigation, we are looking forward to discussing the progress of the cases at the next status conference and preparing for the first trials to take place,” BDS added. “We are pleased that the Zoloft cases were sent back to the Court of Common Pleas, and we are eagerly awaiting the decision on whether they will be given Mass Tort status.”
Topamax (topiramate) is an anti-seizure medication produced by Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (f/k/a Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.). The plaintiffs in the litigation allege that their use of the drug during pregnancy resulted in congenital birth defects among their children, including oral clefts (also known as cleft lip or cleft palate) and heart defects. The plaintiffs allege that they were not properly warned about the risk of these birth defects.
Zoloft (sertraline) is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) anti-depressant. The plaintiffs claim that their use of that drug during pregnancy resulted in their children’s suffering serious and permanent congenital birth defects, including heart and lung defects, neural defects, abdominal development problems and limb malformation. The plaintiffs in the Zoloft cases also allege that they were not given proper warnings about these risks.
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Founded in 2002, Birth Defect Settlement is based in San Diego, California, and is committed to aggressively representing those who have been wronged by the negligence, misconduct, or fraud of others from coast to coast. The firm’s practice areas include: aviation, birth injuries, car accidents, class actions, consumer protection, dangerous drugs and devices, environmental and toxic exposure, medical malpractice, motorcycle accidents, wrongful death, nursing home neglect, securities litigation, unfair business practices and truck accidents. For more information, call the firm toll free at (866) 710-9475 or use their online form.