August 12, 2023: As anticipated, a class action for Bard PowerPort lawsuits has been established in federal court in Arizona (a not-so-common venue for MDLs). The MDL Panel determined that all Bard PowerPort lawsuits filed at the federal level will be unified under one judge in an MDL class action.
Whether Bard acknowledges it or not, this development is beneficial for all parties involved. Such a class action approach will simplify pretrial proceedings and potentially expedite a Bard PowerPort settlement in the future.
July 25, 2023: This week, the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) is set for a hearing to decide whether all federal Bard PowerPort lawsuits should be combined and overseen by one judge for streamlined discovery and pretrial proceedings in an MDL.
June 21, 2023: Even as numerous Bard PowerPort lawsuits are piling up in federal court, each alleging severe problems resulting from the device’s design, the manufacturer is contesting efforts to unify these claims under one judge for pretrial hearings. These lawsuits assert that Bard Ports, designed to facilitate medication delivery, are inherently defective, causing fractures and leading to infections, blood clots, and more complications.
June 8, 2023: a motion has been filed with the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation to consolidate all Bard PowerPort product liability lawsuits in federal courts into a new class action Multidistrict Litigation (MDL). According to the motion, there are presently 10 PowerPort lawsuits waiting in diverse federal districts. However, it is anticipated that the number of cases will see a significant surge in the next year.
Block quote
Ordered list
Unordered list
Bold text
Emphasis
Superscript
Subscript