Personal Injury

Automotive Products Litigation

Each year thousands of families are forced to cope with the lasting affects of accidents caused by defects such as defective seat and airbag systems, defective fuel systems, defective tires, defective stability design, and poorly engineered safety structural components.  The lawyers at Reynolds, Frizzell, Black, Doyle, Allen & Oldham, LLP can help evaluate and prosecute these cases aggressively.

Tire Defect Litigation

Similarly, thousands are injured or killed each year as a result of defective tires.  In fact, tire manufacturer recalls are not uncommon.  Every major tire manufacturer has issued recalls.  Unfortunately, these recalls only come after a significant number of consumers have been injured or killed as a result of the defective tires. The lawyers at Reynolds, Frizzell, Black, Doyle, Allen & Oldham, LLP can help evaluate and prosecute these cases aggressively, to help families put their lives back together after a catastrophic incident.

Pharmaceutical Litigation

Reynolds, Frizzell, Black, Doyle, Allen & Oldham, LLP, has a proven track record of providing experienced legal counsel in cases where people have been hurt and killed by deadly drugs, faulty medical devices and other unsafe products.

For example, the firm is actively pursuing lawsuits for clients whose children were affected by Paxil ingestion during pregnancy.

The medication Paxil® (paroxetine or paroxetine hydrochloride), manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline was developed to treat depression and anxiety. Paroxetine or paroxetine hydrochloride, marketed by the drug name Paxil, was approved as a medication by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1992 as a treatment for adult depression, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder.  SSRIs help maintain a balance of serotonin levels in the brain in order to restore the brain to a normal emotional state.

Statistics show that in 2002 over 25 million prescriptions were written for Paxil. More than 6.3 million Paxil prescriptions were written for women in their childbearing years. In 2003, Glaxo sponsored a study that indicated that use of Paxil during pregnancy increased the risk of Paxil birth defects more than 2-fold, with the most common birth defect being cardiovascular abnormalities.

Glaxo continued to market the anti-depressant, Paxil as a Pregnancy Category C drug. This rating indicates that animal studies have shown adverse effects on the fetus but that there are no adequate well-controlled studies in humans. Glaxo waited two years to strengthen their warning on Paxil in December 2005, at the request of the FDA, to name Paxil as a Pregnancy Category D product, meaning there is positive evidence of human fetal risk associated with use during pregnancy.

Since its introduction in 1992, Paxil has been prescribed to millions of expecting mothers to treat depression and anxiety. More and more evidence is emerging that using Paxil or other selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) during pregnancy can increase the likelihood of life-threatening birth defects such as heart and lung defects.

Mothers who have used Paxil during pregnancy and expectant mothers taking the drug should be aware of these birth defect risks. If your child was born with a birth defect or a congenital heart condition, you should learn as much as you can about your child’s condition and what can be done to correct the problem or lessen its effects.

Glaxo continues to market their product and advise against discontinuing the use of Paxil during pregnancy despite the increased risk for birth defects. To support their position Glaxo cites a study that indicated a 68% relapse rate for major depression during the course of the pregnancy for women who stopped taking medication for depression during pregnancy. As Glaxo points out the risk for recurrence of depression, they fail to indicate that the risk of PPHN doubles with the use of SSRI medications such as Paxil during pregnancy.

The FDA has required label changes and has sent an advisory to doctors informing them of the increased risks for birth defects.

Paxil Risks

Using Paxil during pregnancy has been linked to multiple serious birth defects, including without limitation:

Cardiovascular defects/Ventricular and/or Atrial Septal Defects

These defects affect the chambers of the heart and include the medical condition commonly referred to as a hole in the heart. These heart defects prevent full oxygenation of the blood by the lungs. In most cases the defect can be corrected by surgery. In a small number of cases it can heal itself as the child grows. Studies indicate that Paxil taken in early pregnancy doubles a baby’s chance of being born with a heart defect. During the first several weeks of pregnancy, the baby’s heart develops. It is possible that a woman is not even aware she is pregnant before her baby’s heart is completely developed.

Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn (PPHN)

Babies born with PPHN have abnormal blood flow through their heart and lungs and do not get enough oxygen to their bodies. Babies born with PPHN can be very sick and may even die. An article in the February 9, 2006 New England Journal of Medicine entitled Selective Serotonin-Reuptake Inhibitors and Risk of Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn describes a study which found an association between the maternal use of SSRIs (including Paxil) and PPHN in the offspring.

Abdominal Defects

In some instances, babies exposed to Paxil in utero develop abdominal defects such as omphalocele. Omphalocele is a defect in the abdominal wall in which a portion of the intestines or abdominal organs protrude through the umbilical area and present on the outside of the body. An omphalocele must be corrected by surgery, but this is often difficult because the abdomen is often smaller than normal and not large enough to hold the abdominal organs, requiring the abdominal cavity to be enlarged in order to accommodate the intestinal contents.

Cranial Defects

Craniosynostosis, also known as cloverleaf skull, is a condition in which the sutures or growth centers between the bones of the infant skull fuse together prematurely. The result is a deformation in the development and shape of the skull that causes problems with normal brain and skull growth, and can lead to an increase in intracranial pressure. For children who experience cranial defects, surgical intervention is required to correct the defect by separating the fused structures and reshaping the skull.

Questions?

Protect your child’s health and your rights. If you took Paxil or Paxil CR during pregnancy and your child was born with a heart defect or other birth defect, Paxil may be the cause. To ensure that your child’s condition is adequately diagnosed and addressed, speak with your doctor. Medical treatment for these conditions can be very costly. An attorney at Reynolds, Frizzell, Black, Doyle, Allen & Oldham, LLP can help explain your legal rights.

If you or a loved one has suffered serious injuries while using Paxil, or if you used Paxil during pregnancy and your child was born with congenital birth defects, you may be entitled to compensation for your losses and suffering.

Our law firm has the skill, resources, and commitment needed to fight pharmaceutical corporations and obtain favorable results for you.  If you used Paxil or another selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) during your pregnancy, your child’s condition may have been caused by your use of the medication. An attorney at Reynolds, Frizzell, Black, Doyle, Allen & Oldham, LLP can discuss your right to compensation, the strength of your birth defect claim, and what it will take to get results for you. The compensation we obtain can provide the critically needed medical care your child needs in order to live a normal life.