Mass Tort cases are defined as cases where a company makes or sells a product such as a medical device, medication or other mass-produced item that harms hundreds or thousands of people.  For example, pharmaceutical companies and medical device companies have been faced with a large number of suits throughout the years for products that earn them billions of dollars in profit.  These companies may know of product defects beforehand and their potential to cause harm to individuals through usage yet these corporations often choose not to take appropriate action due to profit or other motives.

Many of these companies could have millions or billions of dollars invested in product development and may simply feel that it is more advantageous for them to send items to market and reap massive profits than to halt their release and avoid doing harm to those who may use the products.  Profit is often at the center of these cases, and it is necessary for a firm that takes on such cases to thoroughly litigate and investigate these types of claims.

Pharmaceutical products including Vioxx, Avandia, Fosamax, and anti-depressants such as Topamax,  may have severe ramifications that are not disclosed at all or not properly disclosed to those taking them.  DePuy ASR hip implants, Zimmer, and NexGen knee replacement systems are a few medical devices currently subject to large-scale mass tort litigation.

Anti-depressants such as Celexa, Lexapro, Prozac, Zoloft and Effexor, are drugs that also are currently being litigated in mass tort cases by thousands of people who have been harmed.  These drugs are commonly prescribed for anxiety and depression and classified as SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors).  Over the past five years, scientific information has emerged that links these drugs to numerous birth defects, including heart malformations, brain and spinal cord abnormalities, cleft lip/cleft palate, club foot, persistent pulmonary hypertension and abdominal wall malformation if taken during pregnancy.  We anticipate a warning change regarding the prescription of these medications during pregnancy.  People should take note of any unexpected birth defects.  In one case, a mother who had two healthy children had taken Prozac for postpartum depression and continued on the drug before discovering her pregnancy.  Her child was born with a severe and unexplained heart malformation.

If you or someone you know has used any of the above mentioned products and suffered any complications or strange results, or need revisions done, please call the Law Offices of Christopher Ligori & Associates at 813-223-2929 for a free consultation.