Depakote Litigation Moving Forward

Springfield, ILA court order in December 2013, demanding that Abbott Laboratories produce “long overdue” documents in Depakote lawsuits claiming Depakote birth defects, may be good news to plaintiffs who had previously disputed the amount of documents that Abbott had submitted to the court.

The court order (US District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, case no. 13-cv-324-SCW, and 13-cv-326-SCW) by a US Magistrate Judge on December 16, 2013, ordered Abbott to turn over about 4,000 copies of literature that relate to Depakote and birth defects “as soon as possible,” and to “exercise all avenues available.” The documents were first ordered to be produced back in April 2013.

A number of plaintiffs last April filed a lawsuit in Illinois Southern District Court (case no. 3:2013cv00414), claiming Depakote birth defects were caused by their mothers’ taking Depakote during pregnancy. The plaintiffs claim they were born with serious side effects including spina bifida, heart defects and neural tube defects, among other congenital malformations and birth defects.

Three cases submitted within the last two months to LawyersandSettlements allege a number of Depakote side effects.

Tammy from Georgia says she was prescribed Depakote for seizure treatment during her pregnancy. “At the age of ten, my daughter was diagnosed with a severe case of scoliosis; there was a 76 degree curve,” says Tammy. “She underwent surgery shortly after being diagnosed to prevent any life-threatening problems to her heart and lungs.”

Cory from Brooklyn recently gave birth. Her daughter was born with an extra digit. A plastic surgeon had removed it soon after she was born. “I was taking Depakote 250-500 mg before I knew I was pregnant,” says Cory. “I only took it for the first two months of my pregnancy.”

“My middle son has ADHD and my youngest son, one of his testes didn’t descend,” says Susan from Oregon. “He had to have surgery when he was five years old and he also suffers with a very bad speech impediment. I was on Depakote during both pregnancies and not a day goes by that I regret taking it.”