Depo-Provera Claims Now Centralized and Part of Multidistrict Litigation

In an important legal step, the Depo-Provera birth control lawsuits have been centralized and transferred to multidistrict litigation that will take place in Florida. There were 27 lawsuits pending in 8 districts, and another 41 related actions pending in 15 districts. Plaintiffs had proposed to centralize the litigation in the Northern District of California or the Central District of California. However, the Panel on Multidistrict Litigation elected to move the cases to Florida. If you were harmed by Depo-Provera, you may have grounds to pursue damages in a product liability lawsuit. The seasoned Chicago-based lawyers of Moll Law Group represent plaintiffs around the country. Billions have been recovered in product liability lawsuits with which we’ve been involved.

Call Moll Law Group About the Harm You’ve Suffered from Depo-Provera

The plaintiffs who brought Depo-Provera lawsuits have alleged that they used the injectable contraceptive. Studies now show that long-term use of Depo-Provera can result in an increased risk of developing meningiomas (types of brain tumor) and the plaintiffs argued that they developed intracranial meningioma that was caused by use of Depo-Provera or a generic version of it. They sought centralization of these claims because they have substantially similar misrepresentation and product liability claims.

The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation found that the actions that were brought before them involve common questions of fact and that centralizing these cases in the Northern District of Florida will serve the parties’ convenience, as well as the witnesses, and promote the just and efficient conduct of the litigation.

The common questions of fact among these claims are whether Depo-Provera causes meningioma and whether this is a risk that the manufacturers knew about or should have known about. Other questions are whether the defendants failed to adequately warn about the risk of intracranial meningioma and whether they had failed to promote their safer alternatives like Depo-SubQ Provera 104. According to the plaintiffs this latter type of birth control has a lower dose of the medroxyprogesterone acetate and it can be administered subcutaneously.

Centralization can be an important step for product liability lawsuits when there are many similar claims. Once centralized, discovery, which can be time consuming, is streamlined. The risk of inconsistent pretrial rulings is removed. In most cases, resources are significantly conserved by trying cases together. Centralization allows the judge to order bellwether trials that allow the most typical claims to be tried to verdict as a way of determining how other later cases may be viewed.

Product liability cases can be pursued when a product’s defect causes consumers or patients injuries. Defects may involve the product’s manufacturing, design, or marketing. If you were harmed by Depo-Provera, you may be able to recover compensation by bringing a product liability lawsuit. We represent patients who have been harmed by dangerous contraceptives around the country. Please contact our experienced Chicago-based trial attorneys about your legal options, either by completing our online form or by calling us at 312.462.1700.