Lawsuit claims mother’s use of Zoloft caused newborn hearing problems

NEW ORLEANS - A Jefferson Parish mother has filed a lawsuit against Pfizer claiming that the antidepressant she took during pregnancy caused her child to develop hearing problems.

Leslie Kemmerer Hezeau, individually and on behalf of her minor child, filed suit against Pfizer Inc. on Jan. 22 in federal court in New Orleans.

Hezeau claims that her child was born with birth defects and developmental delays caused by her use of Pfizer’s drug Zoloft during pregnancy. The child was born in November 2003 and suffers from hearing loss.

Zoloft is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor used as an antidepressant medication. Hezeau states that she was never warned of the drug's effects when ingested by pregnant women.

According to the lawsuit, ingesting the drug during pregnancy can cause children to be born with congenital injuries, defects, disorders, and malformations.  The defendant is accused of failing to adequately warn or inform consumers of the known effects of Zoloft and for fraudulently concealing those effects.

The defendant is accused of construction or composition defect, design defect, inadequate warning, breach of express warranty, redhibition, and violation of the Louisiana Products Liability Act.

The plaintiff is seeking an award of damages for the purchase price, medical monitoring, interest, court costs, and attorney’s fees

Hezeau is represented by Michael Hingle, Bryan A. Pfleeger and Ronald J. Favre of Michael Hingle & Associates in Slidell.

A jury trial is requested.

Case No. 2:13-cv-00108