Bard to Face the Second IVC Filter Bellwether Trial in May

Bard to Face the Second IVC Filter Bellwether Trial in May

Introduction

The second Bard IVC filter lawsuit is scheduled to begin on May 15, 2018, filed by a woman from Georgia, who was implanted with C.R. Bard’s Eclipse blood clot filter to treat recurrent deep vein thrombosis in 2010. A pretrial conference is scheduled for May 4 and the expected trial run is 3 weeks. As per the case management order, the trial will be conducted in two phases; the first phase will determine liability, compensatory damages, and whether punitive damages should be awarded and, if so, the second phase will be convened to determine the punitive damages amount to be awarded.

Thousands of IVC filter lawsuits are pending in consolidated action against C.R. Bard for its Recovery, G2, G2 Express, G2X, Eclipse, Meridian, and Denali IVC Filters, wherein the plaintiffs claim that due to the manufacturing and design defects, Bard filters are more harmful than other IVC filters and that Bard failed to forewarn about the higher risks. The cases were centralized in 2015 to coordinate the pre-trial proceedings under MDL 2641 (in re Bard IVC Filters Products Liability Litigation) before U.S. District Judge David Campbell.

A Phoenix jury recently awarded $ 4 million to a woman for injuries caused by IVC filter manufactured by C.R. Bard Inc.