Zoloft Lawyers Help Patients

Andrea Roberts may be one of the victims of serious Zoloft side effects – although she can’t testify about it herself. Neither can her husband and two children – Roberts shot them and then herself a week after picking up her Zoloft prescription, which her family says only served to worsen her condition. Zoloft is a medication commonly prescribed to treat psychological disorders such as obsessive compulsive disorder, post traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression. It is an SSRI drug, meaning that it works by blocking the reuptake of the feel-good chemical serotonin in the brain. Many people take Zoloft and similar drugs to help manage conditions that would otherwise go untreated. However, a number of patients have had negative experiences with a series of serious side effects associated with the drug. These side effects include birth defects and complications for older people, as well as  suicidal thoughts with the risk of Zoloft suicide.

In 2004 a black box warning was placed on all SSRI drugs warning patients of the possibility of an increased number of suicidal thoughts and actions. However, the warning only addressed the number of teenagers and young adults who had taken the drug and experienced suicidal thoughts or even committed suicide. It said nothing about adults – and that is why Andrea Roberts’ family is filing a Zoloft lawsuit against

drugmaker Pfizer.

Glenda and John Robert McCoy, the parents of Roberts, and her brother, John Andrew McCoy, have filed suit claiming that Zoloft was directly responsible for the death of Andrea and her family. They may be hoping for an out-of-court settlement from Pfizer, a move that could be beneficial for both parties – the family would receive a payment that could help cover bereavement costs after Andrea Roberts’ death, and Pfizer would get to keep many details of the settlement private. In addition, the lengthy and difficult court battle would be avoided.

Out of court settlements can occur at anytime during the litigation process and the amount given to each party usually remains undisclosed.

Patients of Zoloft or another SSRI drug who have experienced severe side effects, or family members of a suicide victim who was taking an SSRI drug at the time of his or her death, may want to file a lawsuit and should first talk to a Zoloft lawyer about their concerns.