Talcum Powder – Ovarian Cancer Litigation

Talcum Powder Ovarian Cancer Settlement Talks Kicked Off Sept. 4

Baby Powder and Shower-to-Shower products will begin settlement talks this September, in an effort to resolve the decade-long litigation. The claims allege J&J sold talc products contaminated with asbestos, encouraged genital use despite the risks, and failed to warn consumers.

The litigation, centralized before U.S. District Judge Michael Shipp in New Jersey, has been stalled for years by J&J’s repeated, but unsuccessful attempts to force settlements through bankruptcy. After the company’s third bankruptcy defeat earlier this year, momentum shifted toward trial preparation.

At plaintiffs’ request, U.S. Magistrate Judge Rukhsanah L. Singh appointed a mediator on July 2, 2025. Later that month, in an order issued July 28, she set the first mediation session for September 4, 2025. J&J did not oppose the move, despite maintaining it will defend itself at trial.

If no settlement is reached, the court will move ahead with a series of bellwether trials, beginning with a case filed by Carter Judkins, to gauge how juries respond to evidence that will appear throughout the litigation. The outcomes will not bind other plaintiffs but are expected to strongly influence settlement negotiations.

Bard PowerPort Implant Litigation

Bellwether Trial Schedule Confirmed: Bard PowerPort MDL to Begin March 2026

The federal judge overseeing lawsuits over Bard’s PowerPort implants has scheduled several bellwether trials for 2026 to test claims that the vascular access devices are defectively designed. Over 1,800 cases are currently consolidated in an MDL overseen by Judge David G. Campbell in Arizona, with plaintiffs alleging the devices cause infections, catheter fracture, migration, and other serious complications.

After beginning with 24 candidate cases, six representative lawsuits were selected for early jury trials. The first trial, filed by Robert Cook of Minnesota, who developed an infection just days after implantation requiring removal during chemotherapy, is set to begin March 2, 2026 (case management order).

The remaining bellwether cases are scheduled as follows:

• Wanda Miller: April 27, 2026
• May Lattanzio: July 7, 2026
• Kimberly Divelbliss: August 17, 2026
• Judy Hicks: October 13, 2026
• Lloyd Sorenson: December 1, 2026
  

The outcomes of these trials won’t bind other cases in the MDL, but will be closely watched and are expected to guide settlement discussions. If no global agreement is reached, the court may remand hundreds of individual claims to federal courts across the country for separate trials. A status conference is set for September 18, 2025, with a joint memorandum due September 16.

Social Media – Addiction & Youth Protection

Minnesota Sues TikTok Over Addictive Features Targeting Children

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has filed a lawsuit against TikTok, accusing the company of using manipulative “digital nicotine” features to keep kids hooked. The suit alleges deceptive practices like live-stream “gifting” that exploit young users. The state is seeking penalties and reforms, joining a nationwide effort to hold social media platforms accountable for youth mental health harms.

First Student Social Media Addiction Bellwether Trials Selected

A federal judge has ruled that school district claims will be the first to reach trial in the nationwide social media addiction litigation. More than 1,800 lawsuits are currently consolidated in an MDL before Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in the Northern District of California, involving school districts, families, and state attorneys general.

The lawsuits accuse platforms including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Snapchat of intentionally designing addictive features and algorithms that exploit compulsive behavior in children, fueling a mental health crisis marked by anxiety, depression, and suicidal behaviors. Families are seeking compensation for personal injuries, while school districts want to recover costs tied to expanding counseling, crisis intervention, and special education services.

In a case management order issued August 25, Judge Rogers directed that the school district cases will move forward first, with parties to determine the order of trials. Federal bellwether trials are expected to begin in late 2026, with the next case management conference set for October 10, 2025.

Separate state court trials are scheduled earlier, with the first set to begin in California on November 24, 2025, followed by additional trials on March 9, 2026, and May 11, 2026.

Although these early trials will not be binding, they will provide critical insight into how juries respond and are expected to shape any potential settlement talks.

Tampons – Product Safety

Tampax Pearl Tampons Face Lawsuit Over Lead Contamination

A U.S. magistrate judge has ordered both sides in a Tampax class action lawsuit to attend an upcoming settlement evaluation, requiring representatives with full settlement authority to be present. The case, filed in July 2024 by Allison Barton against Procter & Gamble, alleges certain Tampax tampons contain unsafe levels of lead that can be absorbed directly into the bloodstream.

Lead exposure is linked to high blood pressure, kidney damage, reproductive issues, and cancer risks. Research published in August 2024 by Columbia University and UC Berkeley found heavy metals, including lead, in at least 14 tampon brands and 18 product lines sold in the U.S., warning of fertility and hormonal impacts. Barton’s claims are also supported by lab testing showing that Tampax Pearl products could expose users to more than 0.5 micrograms of lead per day, exceeding California’s Proposition 65 safety limit.

On August 25, 2025, U.S. Magistrate Judge Steve B. Chu issued an order requiring an early neutral evaluation (ENE) of settlement proposals, to be followed by a case management conference on October 31, 2025, if no resolution is reached. Both sides must exchange ENE statements and file a joint discovery plan by October 24, with plaintiffs’ settlement proposal due October 10 and defendants’ response by October 17.

If settlement talks fail, the case will proceed to the management conference immediately after the ENE session, which will be conducted by Zoom.

Depo-Provera Updates

New Study Links Depo-Provera Use to Higher Meningioma Risk in Older Women

A new study has reinforced concerns that Depo-Provera birth control injections may increase the risk of meningioma brain tumors, particularly among women over age 31 or those who have used the shot for more than four years.

Published September 2 in JAMA Neurology, the research analyzed data from over 10 million women and found that Depo-Provera users faced a 2.43-fold higher risk of developing intracranial meningiomas compared to non-users. Researchers estimated that one additional tumor may occur for every 1,152 women receiving the injections — a significant finding given that more than 70 million women in the U.S. are believed to have used the drug.

These findings add weight to about 1,000 Depo-Provera lawsuits now consolidated in an MDL in the Northern District of Florida, overseen by Judge M. Casey Rodgers. Plaintiffs allege Pfizer and generic manufacturers failed to warn about the brain tumor risks despite evidence dating back years.

The court has ordered preparation of bellwether trials to test how juries respond to the evidence. However, Pfizer recently filed a motion for summary judgment, arguing that failure-to-warn claims are preempted by federal law after the FDA rejected its 2023 request to add a meningioma warning label.

If the litigation overcomes the preemption challenge, bellwether trials will proceed. While their outcomes will not bind other claims, they are expected to play a critical role in shaping potential Depo-Provera settlement negotiations.

Dupixent – T-Cell Lymphoma Risk

Dupixent Use May Increase Risk of Rare Skin Cancer

Sanofi and Regeneron may face a wave of Dupixent lawsuits after new research linked the blockbuster drug to cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL). Patients allege the companies failed to warn about the cancer risk, despite mounting medical evidence.

Dupixent, approved in 2017 for eczema and later expanded to asthma, sinusitis, and other conditions, has been prescribed to over 1 million patients worldwide. The drug suppresses IL-4 and IL-13 immune pathways, which researchers warn may also allow abnormal T-cell growth.

Several recent studies raised alarms: an April 2024 study, published in JAMA Dermatology, found a 300% higher risk of CTCL among Dupixent users, while an August 2024 study reported a 350% increase. A June 2025 asthma study found even higher risks, up to 14-fold in long-term users.

The FDA’s adverse event database has logged nearly 300 lymphoma reports tied to Dupixent, including 138 confirmed CTCL cases. Law firms are now investigating potential claims for former users diagnosed with lymphoma, suggesting litigation could expand quickly in the coming years.

Hat tip to the research of Saiontz & Kirk, P.A

Ozempic, Wegovy & Mounjaro – GLP-1 Drug Litigation

Eli Lilly Pushes to Consolidate GLP-1 Vision Loss Lawsuits

Eli Lilly has asked federal judges to consolidate a growing number of vision loss lawsuits involving Mounjaro, Ozempic, and other GLP-1 drugs into a new multidistrict litigation (MDL). The company wants the cases assigned to U.S. District Judge Karen Marston in Pennsylvania, who already oversees several thousand GLP-1 gastroparesis lawsuits.

GLP-1 medications, including Mounjaro, Ozempic, Wegovy, and Trulicity, are widely prescribed for diabetes and weight loss. But recent studies have raised safety concerns, including stomach paralysis, intestinal blockages, and nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) — a rare condition that can cause vision loss. A July 2024 Harvard study found Ozempic users faced a seven-fold higher risk of NAION, and a JAMA Ophthalmology study in August suggested the risk applies to the entire drug class.

As of mid-August, at least 21 federal NAION lawsuits had been filed across three districts, with most concentrated in New Jersey. Dozens more are also pending in state courts. In a motion filed August 19, 2025, Eli Lilly argued that because the vision loss and stomach paralysis cases involve overlapping science and legal issues, Judge Marston should handle both sets of claims.

If consolidated, the NAION lawsuits would likely follow a similar path to the gastroparesis MDL, where the court is already addressing questions of federal preemption and scientific evidence.

Uber Sexual Assault MDL Updates

First Uber Sexual Assault Bellwether Trial Scheduled for January 2026

Uber faces more than 2,500 sexual assault lawsuits consolidated in an MDL before U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer in the Northern District of California, where plaintiffs allege the rideshare company failed to protect passengers from predatory drivers by conducting minimal background checks, neglecting safety measures, and prioritizing profits over safety.

To manage the litigation, Judge Breyer established a bellwether process with six representative cases. The first trial, involving claims by Jaylynn Dean, who alleges she was raped by an Uber driver in Arizona, was originally set for December 8, 2025.

However, after both sides cited discovery issues — including lost smartphone data — they jointly submitted a proposed order seeking more time. On August 29, 2025, Judge Breyer issued a court order vacating the trial date and rescheduling it for January 7, 2026.

The bellwether outcomes will not bind other cases but are expected to heavily influence Uber sexual assault settlement negotiations. If no resolution is reached, the court may begin remanding hundreds of individual lawsuits for separate trials nationwide.

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