The federal judge presiding over thousands of Actos lawsuits that are currently consolidated in a multi-district litigation (MDL) recently issued a handful of case management orders. The orders are an apparent attempt to streamline the large, complex litigation, encourage large-scale settlement, and prevent duplication of thousands of state court Actos... Read more »

Families who are suing Zoloft manufacturer Pfizer based on allegations that the SSRI caused birth defects in their children have been granted a second chance to present an expert witness, according to a recent ruling by Judge Cynthia M. Rufe. The plaintiffs’ Zoloft birth defects lawsuits have been centralized for... Read more »

When patients take a medication, they generally trust that the drug is reasonably safe and will treat their medical condition without the risk of long-term, serious side effects. When drug manufacturers breach that trust, a product liability lawsuit may result. Such is the case with Merck and Co., which found... Read more »

Mason v. Fresenius Medical Care Holdings, Inc. was filed directly into multidistrict litigation (MDL 2428) on December 10, 2014, joining thousands of similar claims that allege Granuflo and Naturalyte dialysis additives are defective and unreasonably dangerous. Plaintiff Robert Mason brought his product liability complaint individually and on behalf of the... Read more »

U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly has prescribed a case management plan and process for preparing bellwether trials in testosterone injury lawsuits not involving AbbVie’s AndroGel product, but rather the various testosterone treatments marketed and sold by several other manufacturers. Judge Kennelly’s order further clarifies a specific area of distinction among... Read more »

As Benicar lawsuits continue to escalate across the nation, plaintiffs have petitioned the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) to consolidate similar actions that allege severe gastrointestinal injuries. In a motion filed on December 18, plaintiff Annette Johnson asked the JPML to transfer all federally-filed cases to the Northern District... Read more »

Over the past several years, the highly-anticipated next-generation blood thinner Xarelto has transformed from an exciting new addition to the American drug market to a potentially dangerous, even life-threatening treatment. Xarelto, which was designed and manufactured by Bayer and Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Janssen, has been named in 21 federal... Read more »

U.S. District Judge David R. Herndon ─ who is overseeing all federal Yaz and Yasmin lawsuits ─ has identified 33 cases for early bellwether trials that will likely beginning during the middle of 2015. All product liability lawsuits regarding the birth control pills have been joined together under multidistrict litigation... Read more »

New research published in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology suggests that Pradaxa and Xarelto bleeding risks may be no different than those of Warfarin (Coumadin). The study – conducted at Southlake Regional Health Centre in Ontario– examined 901 patients who took Warfarin and newer anticoagulants Pradaxa and Xarelto. After looking... Read more »

Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer is currently facing at least 68 product liability lawsuits filed in the federal court system with regard to its medication, Effexor (venlafaxine). The Effexor lawsuits claim the drug causes birth defects. In August of 2013, federal Effexor lawsuits were centralized into a multidistrict litigation (MDL), which is... Read more »