We have often characterized judicial options as mixed bags, and a recent example of such a mixed bag can be found in Muldoon v. DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc., 2024 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 130020 (N.D. Cal. July 23, 2024). The plaintiff claimed injuries from a ceramic-on-metal hip implant. He alleged that friction and wear caused the
Fraud
Questionable California Cough Medicine Consumer Class Lingers
We have seen a number of consumer fraud class action cases brought over a range of fairly ticky tacky issues about OTC drugs and consumer products. California law and courts have been fairly favorable to these cases, which follow a pattern of a test plaintiff seeking to represent some large class because (s)he claims to…
D.N.J Dismisses Fluoroquinolone False Claims Act Case
Few things in the law are as subject to abuse as the False Claims Act, 31 USC section 3729 et seq. (the FCA). It was originally enacted to stop massive frauds perpetrated by large contractors during the Civil War. Now it is a litigation cottage industry.
In United States ex rel. Bennett v. Bayer Corp…
Rock Solid Surgeon Testimony Leads to Equally Solid Summary Judgment Decision
Barebones Allegations Not Enough to Save Warranty and Fraud Claims in Alabama
We offer today’s case as a good recitation of Alabama warranty and fraud law. Both have precise pleading requirements that plaintiff failed to meet in Morris v. Angiodynamics, Inc., 2024WL 476884 (M.D. Ala. Feb. 7, 2024).
Plaintiff was implanted with a port used to deliver his chemotherapy treatments. About five months after implant, plaintiff…
Cold Remedy/Vitamin C Convenience Pack is Not Deceptive
Lately, there seems to be an overdose of OTC (Over the Counter) drug cases. Everywhere we look, we see more and more lawsuits centered on OTC’s, both in the areas of product liability and consumer fraud. Is it because OTC litigation offers plaintiff lawyers the prospect of a huge potential plaintiff population? Is it because…
N.D. Cal. Sees No Standing or Merit in Eye Cosmetic Claims
Our best college era summer job was working as a staffer for the New Jersey State Senate. The Abscam investigation was ongoing, and it seemed that every week there’d be another empty seat in the Senate chamber courtesy of the FBI. Good times. We doubt we personally performed any services that were useful for Garden…
Automotive Preemption Case Has Buckman Front and Center
One key point where implied preemption differs from express preemption is that express preemption is inherently limited by the language of the particular statute that contains the pertinent preemption clause, whereas general principles of implied preemption have broad application to all similar cases. Since the preemption of agency fraud claims recognized in Buckman Co. v. Plaintiffs Legal Committee, 531 U.S. 341 (2001), was based entirely on implied preemption, Bexis has kept track of non-FDCA applications of Buckman implied preemption in his book. See § 5.02[4][c] n.294. Non-FDA-related findings that federal agency fraud claims are preempted include:
Farina v. Nokia, Inc., 625 F.3d 97, 104 (3d Cir. 2010) (FCC); Transmission Agency of Northern California v. Sierra Pacific Power Co., 295 F.3d 918, 932 n.10 (9th Cir. 2002) (FERC); Nathan Kimmel, Inc. v. DowElanco, 275 F.3d 1199, 1204-06 (9th Cir. 2002) (EPA); Murray v. Motorola, Inc., 982 A.2d 764, 770 n.6 (D.C. 2009) (FCC); McCall v. Pacificare, Inc., 21 P.3d 1189, 1199 n.9 (Cal. 2001) (Health Care Financing Administration); Timaero Ireland Ltd. v. Boeing Co., 2021 WL 963815 at *6-7 (N.D. Ill. March 15, 2021) (FAA); LCS Group v. Shire LLC, 2019 WL 1234848 at *6 (S.D.N.Y. March 8, 2019) (patent office); In re Volkswagen “Clean Diesel” Marketing, Sales Practices, & Products Liability Litigation, 264 F. Supp.3d 1040, 1054-55 (N.D. Cal. 2017) (EPA); Syngenta Crop Protectin v. Willowood, 2016 WL 6783628 at *1 (M.D.N.C. Aug. 12, 2016) (EPA); Giglio v. Monsanto Co., 2016 WL 1722859 at *3 (S.D. Cal. April 29, 2016) (EPA); Offshore Service Vessels, LLC v. Surf Subsea, Inc., 2012 WL 5183557 at *11-12 (E.D. La. Oct. 17, 2012) (Coast Guard); Ramirez v. E.I. Dupont De Nemours & Co., 2010 WL 3529509 at *2 (M.D. Fla. Sept. 3, 2010) (EPA); Lockwood v. Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton, LLP, 2009 WL 9419499 at *7 (C.D. Cal. Nov. 24, 2009) (patent office); Beck v. Koppers, Inc., 2006 WL 2228910 at *1 (N.D. Miss. April 7, 2006) (EPA); Hill v. Brush Engineered Materials, Inc., 383 F. Supp.2d 814, 822 (D. Md. 2005) (EPA, OSHA); Williams v. Dow Chemical Co., 255 F. Supp.2d 219, 232 (S.D.N.Y. 2003) (EPA); Morgan v. Brush Wellman, Inc., 165 F. Supp.2d 704, 722 (E.D. Tenn. 2001) (Dept. of Energy); Zwiercan v. General Motors Corp., 2002 WL 31053838, 58 Pa. D. & C.4th 251, 266 (Pa. Com. Pl. 2002) (NHTSA); Redelmann v. Alexander Chemical Corp., 2002 WL 34423377 (Ill. Cir. July 26, 2002) (EPA).
Now Buckman preemption is the centerpiece of In re Ford Motor Co. F-150 & Ranger Truck Fuel Economy Marketing & Sales Practices Litigation, ___ F.4th ___, 2023 WL 3029837 (6th Cir. April 21, 2023). Indeed, at least one aspect of Ford F-150 is favorable to Buckman preemption in a way that should be useful in the drug/device field.Continue Reading Automotive Preemption Case Has Buckman Front and Center
The Maximum Illogic of “Maximum Strength” OTC Fraud Claims
The plaintiffs in Acosta-Aguayo v. Walgreen Co., 2023 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 34836 (N.D. Ill. March 2, 2023), visited their friendly neighborhood drug store and bought a lawsuit. Well, first they bought pain relief patches. Those patches were over the counter (OTC) products. No prescriptions were required. Maybe those pain patches worked and maybe they…
Federal Court: No Evidence that Allergan’s Textured Breast Implants Had a Higher Incidence of Cancer Than Other Manufacturers’ Implants
This post is from the non-Reed Smith side of the blog.
We don’t usually report on securities-law cases, but today we do. That is because the well-reasoned decision in question, In re Allergan PLC Securities Litigation, 2022 WL 17584155 (S.D.N.Y. 2022), has major implications for the parallel Textured Breast Implant MDL now pending in…