Bard PowerPort Lawsuit Updates
The Bard PowerPort is a medical device implanted under the skin to deliver medication and fluids to the vascular system. Unfortunately, the device allegedly causes serious injuries and infections, including heart damage, necrosis, and blood clots. Lawyers are actively accepting Bard PowerPort lawsuits and expect many more people to file as part of the Multidistrict Litigation against Bard Access Systems Inc. and parent company Becton, Dickinson and Company.
Most Recent Updates
- The Bard PowerPort Litigation is active, with 106 lawsuits pending as of March 1, 2024.
- Bellwether trial selection is scheduled to begin on April 1, 2024.
- U.S. District Judge David G. Campbell of the District of Arizona held the latest case management conference in this MDL on March 29, 2024.
Timeline of Bard PowerPort Litigation
The Bard Implanted Port Catheter Products Liability Litigation, MDL 3081, is pending in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona before Judge Devid G. Campbell. Lawsuits are actively being added to the MDL. Bellwether trial selection begins in April 2024, with fact discovery to be completed by January 31, 2025. Here is the timeline for the Multidistrict Litigation so far:
- June 2025: Expert depositions shall be completed no later than June 30, 2025.
- January 2025: The deadline for completing common-issue fact discovery is January 31, 2025.
- April 1, 2024: The bellwether trial selection process was scheduled to begin.
- March 29, 2024: Per Case Management Order No. 15, parties were scheduled to discuss the progress of discovery with the court.
- March 1, 2024: A case management conference was held with decisions reflected in Case Management Order No. 15. Defendants unsuccessfully argued to limit discovery.
- November 30, 2023: Per court order, a revised Master Short-Form Complaint was approved.
- November 22, 2023: Several case management orders were filed addressing documents and electronically stored information, confidentiality, bellwether selection, discovery schedule, profile forms, and complaint filing. An order also reflected additional decisions made during the November 16, 2023, case management conference.
- November 16, 2023: The second case management conference was held, as scheduled during the first conference.
- November 9, 2023: Defendants submitted a joint memorandum filing motions to revise the Master Complaint.
- October 26, 2023: Case Management Order No. 5, appointing retired New Jersey Superior Court Judge Marina Corodemus as Common-Benefit Special Master, was filed.
- September 18, 2023: During the initial case management conference, plaintiffs’ leadership counsel for the MDL was assigned, as reflected in Case Management Order No 1, and case management decisions, such as timing, discovery, and procedures, were agreed to, as reflected in Case Management Order No 2.
- August 22, 2023: A case order was filed, setting the initial case management conference for September 18, 2022.
- August 8, 2023: The United States Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation filed a transfer order consolidating the Bard port catheter lawsuits into the Bard Implanted Port Catheter Products Liability Litigation federal MDL 3081. The JPML assigned the case to Judge David G. Campbell and selected the District of Arizona Federal Court.
- July 27, 2023: The JPML heard arguments to consolidate into MDL, as referenced in this notice filed on June 16, 2023.
- May 24, 2023: A motion was filed with the JPML motion to consolidate into MDL
- February 18, 2022: The U.S. Food & Drug Administration terminated the Bard power port recall for Bard Peripheral Vascular, Inc. port and catheter products.
- November 11, 2020: A study, Outcomes Following Port-A-Catheter Placement in the Medicare Population, outlining long-term injuries and other complications associated with port catheter device use, was published.
- March 26, 2020: The FDA announces a Bard power port recall for Bard Peripheral Vascular, Inc. implantable ports and catheter products.
Primary Allegations Against Bard PowerPort
The Bard PowerPort is a combination injection port and catheter that delivers medication and fluids directly to the bloodstream without repeated needle sticks. This device is commonly used to treat patients with conditions such as cancer, chronic kidney disease, and severe autoimmune disease.
The FDA announced a recall on March 26, 2020, for Bard PowerPort devices. This recall was terminated on February 18, 2022.
The lawsuits allege that the defendants knew about or should have been aware of the device’s negligent design and manufacturing defects but did not inform patients and medical professionals about the dangers.
Bard PowerPort Defects
Design and manufacturing defects allegedly cause the implanted device to fracture, migrate, and degrade. The injection port is made from silicone, and the catheter is made from Chornoflex AL—a combination of silicone and polyurethane—and contains barium sulfate. Barium sulfate particles can separate from the catheter, migrating through the bloodstream and reducing the integrity of the catheter. The following issues are associated with these defects:
- Fracture: The product is known to break apart in patients after being implanted. Loose particles can travel through the vascular system, damaging veins and organs and potentially requiring surgical removal. The weakened device can leak, impacting the efficacy of the medication or fluid.
- Migration: The catheter can dislodge and travel through the body, creating injuries and requiring surgical removal.
- Degradation: As the material degrades, bacteria can enter the bloodstream, causing infection.
Bard PowerPort Injuries and Complications
According to the Bard PowerPort lawsuit, these defects can lead to severe injuries and complications, including:
- Infection: Pathogens can enter the bloodstream through catheter failure, causing serious infections such as necrosis.
- Puncture: Pieces traveling through the vascular system can lacerate blood vessels, tissue, and organs, including the heart. Blood pooling in the system can cause potentially life-threatening conditions, including hematomas, hemorrhaging, hemothorax, and cardiac/pericardial tamponade.
- Blood clots: Migration can lead to blood clots. These can be dangerous as they can lead to pulmonary embolism, thrombosis (including deep vein thrombosis and cerebral venous sinus thrombosis), stroke, and kidney failure.
- Additional cardiac issues: Port and catheter devices are also associated with myocardial infarction, tachycardia, and cardiac arrhythmia.
- Pain: The injuries and complications associated with Bard PowerPort failure can lead to significant, chronic pain.
- Additional medical issues: Bard PowerPort failure is also associated with other organ damage, neurological issues, and additional potentially fatal conditions, including pneumothorax and pulmonary pseudoaneurysm.
Who Qualifies for Filing a Bard PowerPort Lawsuit?
Attorneys are actively filing Bard PowerPort lawsuits, adding to the 106 pending actions. Your client may be eligible to file a lawsuit if their Bard port or catheter device has fractured, migrated, or otherwise failed, causing medical issues such as infection, injury, or pain.
Case Management Help for
Bard PowerPort Claims
Lawyers are currently working to bring justice and financial compensation to victims. As with other mass tort cases, Bard PowerPort lawsuits can strain law firm resources, reducing efficiency and causing frustration and stress.
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Contact Case Works today to discuss how we can help you with case management for Bard PowerPort claims.
