October 1, 2012 — Judge Joseph R. Goodwin has assigned leadership roles in the newly-formed Coloplast vaginal mesh Multidistrict Litigation (MDL). Three attorneys have been assigned Co-Lead Counsel roles on behalf of plaintiffs who were injured by Coloplast vaginal mesh. The MDL is currently located in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia.
After an MDL is formed, one of the first steps is assigning attorneys to play leadership roles. The Coloplast MDL was formed on August 6, 2012, by the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigations (JPML). The JPML has assigned several vaginal mesh MDLs to Judge Goodwin’s court. The other MDLs are against manufacturers Johnson & Johnson (Ethicon), C.R. Bard, American Medical Systems, and Boston Scientific.
Judge Goodwin has already assigned leadership roles in the other MDLs. This includes a massive Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee, which involves 60 attorneys assigned various duties. He has also assigned several attorneys to coordinate common issues among the five MDLs. There may be matters of fact and legal issues that are common to the various litigations, and coordinating these issues may expedite the litigation.
Judge Goodwin has expressed his desire to expedite the Coloplast MDL as much as possible, to catch up with the other MDLs that are already proceeding.
On September 21, Judge Goodwin assigned three attorneys to serve as Co-Lead Counsel in the Coloplast litigation. These attorneys are Riley Burnett, Jr., Mark Mueller, and Robert Salim. They will have many responsibilities in the litigation, including speaking for plaintiffs during pre-trial proceedings, submitting and arguing motions, examining witnesses, introducing evidence, and more.
Drug and medical device litigations are often centralized into a MDL when many lawsuits involve common allegations and legal issues. Lawsuits filed in state courts around the nation are typically transferred to one federal court. Attorneys can coordinate, which reduces the risk of duplicate discovery or conflicting rulings in lower courts.
Do I have a Coloplast Vaginal Mesh Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Coloplast vaginal mesh induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been injured by Coloplast vaginal mesh, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Defective Medical Device Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
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