Skip to main content

MCL Status Requested For Abilify Cases Filed in New Jersey

MCL Status Requested For Abilify Cases Filed in New Jersey

MCL Status Requested For Abilify Cases Filed in New Jersey

Introduction

A request has been put before the New Jersey Supreme Court by both parties of Abilify litigation for the creation of a Multicounty Litigation (MCL) to ensure that future cases filed end up in Bergen County to join the 47 others now pending before Superior Court Judge James DeLuca. The nine cases filed earlier in this county were consolidated in March 2016 and since then the remaining cases along with the existing lawsuits have advanced considerably and a bellwether track has been established by the judge; the first trial is expected to begin by the end of 2018. This request for MCL formation is viewed to be beneficial to all sides as it would provide a fair and more convenient, cost-effective process for all parties, witnesses, counsel, and the court.

Abilify makers, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Otsuka Pharmaceuticals, had developed the drug to treat bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and depression are now facing allegations by hundreds of plaintiffs which include breach of warranty, negligence, violation of federal drug-related statutes and regulations, negligent misrepresentation, violations of New Jersey’s Consumer Fraud Act, fraudulent concealment, and punitive damages.

More than 400 Abilify product liability lawsuits are filed nationwide under MDL No. 2734 (in Re: Abilify Compulsive Behavior Products Liability Litigation), centralized in October 2016, presided by Chief Judge M. Casey Rodgers in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida. Recent developments indicate that the first bellwether trials may be delayed from their originally scheduled start in June 2018.

Further, Judge Rodgers has ordered to meet with the parties involved in the litigation to discuss and schedule additional bellwether trials and plan a proposal to start presenting claims involving multiple plaintiffs before the same jury during consolidated trials.

Comments

Restricted HTML

  • Allowed HTML tags: <a href hreflang> <em> <strong> <cite> <blockquote cite> <code> <ul type> <ol start type> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd> <h2 id> <h3 id> <h4 id> <h5 id> <h6 id>
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
  • Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.

Latest News

Purdue, Sacklers Agree to New $7.4B Opioid Settlement

Categories: Opioids

All 50 U.S. states, along with the District of Columbia and U.S. territories, have agreed to a $7.4 billion settlement with Purdue Pharma, the manufacturer of OxyContin.

This deal addresses allegations that the company’s aggressive and…

Oregon to Get $66M in Sackler Opioid Settlement

Categories: Opioids

Oregon will gain $66 million as part of a nationwide settlement with the Sackler family and Purdue Pharma, the makers of OxyContin. The funds will be used to expand and…

Study Finds Toxic Metals in E-Cigs and U-Cigs Vapors

Categories: E-Cigarette: JUUL

As health concerns about e-cigarette use escalate, emerging research suggests that a newer class of vaping products—ultrasonic cigarettes or u-cigarettes—may pose even greater risks.

A study published in Environmental Health Perspectives in…

✍️ FREE—3000 Pages Medical Record Review Trial!                
No Contract. No Risk—Fully Customized, Free!

Only 10 Firms Accepted—Offer Ends June 30!