Depakote Birth Defect Legal News Articles & Interviews

St. Louis, MO In the first of a possible series of Depakote trials, a jury awarded $15 million in compensatory damages. The St. Louis jury then added $23 million in punitive damages to a 12-year-old girl with spina bifida, which is a birth defect associated with Depakote.

St. Louis, MO A $23 million settlement has been awarded to a Minnesota girl ending a lawsuit against Abbott Laboratories in which the girl’s family alleged the epilepsy drug Depakote caused the girl’s birth defects. This is the first verdict against Abbott, the maker of Depakote.

Bend, OR The Depakote verdict in a recent bellwether trial cleared the drugmaker of responsibility for a child’s birth defects. Abbott Laboratories did not deny that Depakote caused the plaintiff’s spina bifida but argued that the mother understood the risks of both taking and not taking the epilepsy drug.

Tampa, FL The decision to discontinue taking Depakote and risk an epileptic seizure during pregnancy isn’t easy. While most doctors agree that valproic acid (Depakote) should be a last resort for pregnant women, the consensus is that seizures are worse for the babies than risking Depakote birth defects. But why prescribe the drug for migraine or bipolar disorder?

Tampa, FL As more women learn about Depakote birth defects, they are asking their doctors to prescribe other anti-seizure drugs. And more Depakote lawsuits are being filed against Abbott Laboratories.

Portland, OR Valerie was taking Depakote for bipolar disorder but stopped taking it when she was pregnant. “I didn’t know I was pregnant until my ninth week and by that time the damage was already done,” she says.

Seattle, WA Over the past few years, a number of women who took Depakote while pregnant have filed complaints with LawyersandSettlements regarding a possible link to autism. The FDA has finally acknowledged that exposure to Depakote during pregnancy may increase the risk of autism spectrum disorders.

New Orleans, LA Diane doesn’t intend to pursue a Depakote lawsuit. Instead, she filed a claim with LawyersandSettlements so that she could make public her message: Do not take Depakote if you are pregnant or even if you could become pregnant.

Los Angeles, CA The risk for malformations and developmental problems in children exposed to depakote (valproate semisodium) during pregnancy has prompted The European Medicine Agency (EMA)'s Pharmacovigilance and Risk Assessment Committee to recommend strengthening the restrictions for the use of valproate in women of childbearing age.

Houston, TX When weighing the benefits of taking a medication against the potential negatives, people usually consider the severity of the condition being treated. More serious conditions might make a person willing to take a drug with more serious risks. For pregnant women taking Depakote and worried about Depakote side effects, the risks of having untreated seizures could be just as serious as the risks associated with taking Depakote during pregnancy.