If your legal case is part of coordinated proceedings, such as a Multi-District Litigation (MDL) case, you may have heard about bellwether trials. The bellwether process involves a small group of cases that are selected from the pool to be a part of early trials called “bellwether” trials.  These trials occur when several plaintiffs file lawsuits against the same defendant, such as in mass tort litigation cases involving defective drugs and medical devices. Read More

Eighteen months ago I had never even heard the term “multidistrict litigation.” I had heard the term “mass torts” before, but I hadn’t actually given any thought to what that practice area might actually involve. In short, I was only dimly aware that the world of mass tort litigation existed. That all changed when, as fate would have it, I began my career as an attorney working for a mass tort law firm. Fortunately, although it was at times akin to drinking from a fire hose, I seem to have survived my first year in the world of mass torts. This article is a brief summary of what I have learned. Read More

The “I” Word

At the last few legal conferences I attended, I heard the “I” word uttered by defense attorneys, plaintiff attorneys, and current and former judges. I cringed every time I heard it. The lawyers sitting next to me did too. 

“Inventory.” “Inventory.” “Inventory.” “Inventory.” “Inventory.” Read More

The Baby Powder Scandal

When you hear the words ‘baby powder’, or ‘Johnson & Johnson’ you’ll likely recall the devastating link between talcum powder and cancer. That’s because Johnson & Johnson baby powder and Shower to Shower talcum powder caused ovarian cancer and Mesothelioma in thousands of men and women, and there have been thousands of lawsuits against the manufacturers responsible in an attempt to get justice. Read More

Approved vs Cleared

We’ve all seen ‘FDA Approved’ or ‘FDA Cleared’ on a medical device and thought “isn’t it the same?”

The answer is no. Read More