The latest developments in mass tort litigation, settlements, and regulatory actions.
A federal court has removed Beasley Allen from leadership in the Johnson & Johnson talc litigation after finding the firm improperly collaborated with a former J&J attorney during settlement negotiations.
A Pennsylvania jury awarded damages to the family of a woman who died of ovarian cancer linked to talcum powder use, marking the first Philadelphia talc ovarian cancer verdict and adding pressure on Johnson & Johnson as 69,000+ cases remain pending.
A judge has vacated the $950 million punitive damages portion of a talc verdict against Johnson & Johnson, ruling there was insufficient evidence that the company knew of asbestos contamination or acted with malice.
The Department of Justice has approved 649 new settlements totaling $175 million for Camp Lejeune water contamination victims. The DOJ has now paid over $700 million total, though thousands of claims remain pending.
MDL-3060 continues to grow at roughly 247 new cases per month. Daubert motions on expert scientific testimony are due April 1, 2026, as bellwether trial preparation targets 2027.
A Missouri Circuit Court judge has granted preliminary approval to Bayer's proposed $7.25 billion class action settlement to resolve current and future Roundup cancer claims. A final approval hearing is set for July 2026, with roughly 65,000 cases still pending.
Lawsuits alleging that semaglutide drugs (Ozempic, Wegovy) cause non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) and permanent vision loss are progressing in MDL 3163, a newly formed federal multidistrict litigation.
Manufacturers have agreed that growing claims linking the allergy and eczema drug Dupixent to T-cell lymphoma should be consolidated into a new multidistrict litigation for coordinated pretrial proceedings.
A comprehensive analysis of Q1 2026 mass tort trends reveals 158 active MDLs with 197,965 pending cases, with 95% of cases concentrated in the top 25 dockets. Pharmaceutical and medical device litigation continue to dominate.
Hernia mesh lawsuits against manufacturers including C.R. Bard and Ethicon continue to move through the courts with ongoing settlement negotiations and bellwether trial scheduling in multiple MDL dockets.
