Defective Products Legal News Articles & Interviews

Silver Spring, MD On January 3, 2024, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an updated advisory to medical professionals warning them not to purchase or implant, and to remove from their inventory all Synovo Total Hip Systems because the devices have been substantially modified since their initial 1991 approval. The gathering storm of Synovo hip failure lawsuits is only a part of the larger picture of hip implant litigation that now also involves devices manufactured by Exactech, Smith & Nephew, Stryker, and Zimmer.

Santa Clara, CA U.S. District Judge David G. Campbell has said that the Bard PowerPort lawsuit selections will go ahead as scheduled, despite the manufacturer arguing to delay the bellwether process. Judge Campbell is presiding over all Bard PowerPort fracture and migration lawsuits filed in federal courts nationwide.

Philadelphia, PA After Monsanto's first Roundup trial win in Philadelphia, plaintiff Carl Kline claims that key evidence linking non-Hodgkin's lymphoma to the weed killer containing glyphosate was unable to be presented during the trial and he has appealed the ruling. A new Monsanto Roundup trial has been ordered.

Trenton, NJ On March 27, District Court Judge Michael Shipp issued a brief order that permits J&J to contest scientific evidence linking talc products to ovarian cancer. The ruling could seriously disrupt the 53,796 talcum powder lawsuits that have been consolidated in the District Court for the District of New Jersey. The order cites recent changes in the law and new scientific evidence. The changes in law – specifically the federal rules governing expert witnesses -- may have a significant impact on class action lawsuits in general.

Santa Clara, CA  As of early March, at least 8,334 hair relaxer lawsuits are pending in a federal MDL (multidistrict litigation). Following a study that linked cancer to hair straightener products in late 2022, African American women have filed product liability lawsuits claiming certain cosmetic companies caused their uterine cancer, endometrial cancer, ovarian cancer and other serious injuries.

Brooklyn, NY As of March 2024, 1,244 defective, ankle, knee and hip implant lawsuits were pending in multidistrict litigation in the Eastern District of New York. Although no trials or settlements have yet occurred, some speculate that individual hip plaintiffs may ultimately expect to recover as much as $300,000.

Philadelphia, PA Philadelphia Judge James Crumlish III dug Bayer’s Monsanto into the weeds last month. Along with rejecting Monsanto’s challenge to a $175 million Roundup verdict, he had harsh words regarding the company’s trial tactics, calling its performance indignant and self-promotional. And he dished out more punishment by awarding $2.3 million in delay damages to plaintiff Ernest Caranci.

Washington, DC Data released by the Environmental Protection Agency shows that 44 million people in the U.S. have toxic “forever chemicals” known as PFAS in their drinking water, but that could be just the tip of the iceberg as the full scale of PFAS contamination is likely much more widespread. However, scientists at the Environmental Working Group (EWG) estimated in 2020 that more than 200 million Americans are exposed to forever chemicals in their drinking water.

Philadelphia, PA A Georgia doctor's Roundup weedkiller lawsuit is going ahead, despite Bayer’s argument that federal regulators' approval of Roundup protected it from being sued under state law for failing to warn consumers of the product's risks.

Trenton, NJ Until mid-2023, the Johnson & Johnson talcum powder cancer lawsuits consolidated in the District Court of New Jersey have been essentially frozen in place, while the Third Circuit Court of Appeals evaluated J&J’s bankruptcy petitions. The stay involved a complicated bankruptcy scheme, commonly known as the “Texas two-step,” which would have permitted J&J to limit its financial liability by shifting the cancer claims to a newly-created, but severely underfunded subsidiary.