Xarelto MDL has first status conference

The first conference in the Xarelto MDL (In Re: Xarelto (Rivoroxaban) Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2592,  proceeding in the Eastern District of Louisiana, before the Hon. Eldon E. Fallon, took place on January 29, 2015.  Judge Fallon, an experienced MDL presiding judge, has already set up a website for the MDL (http://www.laed.uscourts.gov/xarelto), with posts of


Pelvic Mesh MDL Litigation Updates

A flurry of orders have issued from the chambers of the Hon. Joseph R. Goodwin, the United States District Judge presiding over  the pelvic mesh MDLs in the Southern District of West Virginia, Charleston Division.  The Court vacated and reset a bellwether trial set for December 4, 2014 to March 2, 2015, in Bellew v.


IVC Filters: FDA Was Wary Four Years Back

Have you ever seen one of those metal head massagers, the ones with thin, spider-like metal legs that bend and flex to tickle your scalp?  That’s pretty much exactly how inferior vena cava filters look, except IVC filters are much smaller – they fit inside a vein, and are used to catch blood clots before



Tylenol MDL: Acetaminophen Linked to Serious Side Effects, Death

Last year, a Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) was created to consolidate lawsuits against McNeil PPC, Inc., the company that owns Johnson and Johnson, alleging that “over-the-counter (“OTC”) acetaminophen containing products that are [marketed] and sold under its TYLENOL® brand-name caused liver damage, including liver failure, even when taken as directed.” Currently, there are about 125 Tylenol


Defective Nissan Brakes: Class-Action Suit Settled

Today, Reuters reported that Nissan North America “agreed to reimburse customers between $20 and $800 each to resolve a lawsuit alleging that defects in certain vehicles caused brakes to fail suddenly, according to court papers.”  Fortunately, no deaths have as yet been attributed to these defective Nissan brakes. According to the Associated Press, “A judge


Mercedes Plant Union Possible with National Labor Relations Board Ruling

This week, the National Labor Relations Board “upheld a ruling that Mercedes violated federal labor laws by stopping United Auto Workers union supporters from handing out literature inside its Alabama plant”, as reported by the Associated Press.  While laborers at this Mercedes plant – the largest in the United States – are not organized, the


Strker Hip Replacement Settlement Valued at $1.4 Billion

This month, CBS affiliate WNEM reported that a settlement has been reached in a lawsuit over defective Stryker hips.  In this defective hip replacement settlement, Stryker agreed to pay over $1.4 billion in damages to patients who received faulty implants. For more on defective hip replacements, check out our sister blog, DangerousDrugs WNEM writes, “Thousands


Ebola Gown Lawsuit Filed Against Kimberly Clark

On October 31st, the Associated Press reported that, “[a pending] $500 million lawsuit against Kimberly-Clark Corp. alleges the company falsely claimed its surgical gowns protected against Ebola and other infectious diseases.” (hyperlink added)  This Ebola gown lawsuit was filed against the company on October 29th, and the plaintiff alleges that the giant personal care company


Not a “Surprise” – Comcast Disagrees Over Net Neutrality

A few weeks ago, telecommunications giant Comcast put out a statement indicating that the company (sort of) agreed with President Obama’s remarks about net neutrality this month.  Before I go over how the company and the administration agree and disagree over net neutrality, it would probably help to explain what net neutrality is, and what’s