18 AngioDynamics Port Catheter Lawsuits Will Be Selected for Bellwether Discovery in August 2026

New pretrial schedule indicates the first AngioDynamics port catheter lawsuit bellwether case is not expected to go before a jury until at least mid-2028.

The U.S. District Judge presiding over all federal AngioDynamics port catheter lawsuits has directed each side to select nine representative cases by August 4, which will go through a lengthy pretrial discovery process and be prepared for future bellwether trials, to help gauge how juries may respond to evidence regarding design defects that may increase the risk of infections, fractures and other complications.

AngioDynamics faces about 350 product liability lawsuits involving its port catheter products, including the SmartPort, Vortex Port and Xcela devices, as well as similar implants used in hospitals and cancer treatment centers nationwide. Each of the lawsuits allege the manufacturer failed to warn patients and the medical community about the risk of severe and potentially life threatening problems associated with the devices.

Port Catheter Failures

Port catheters, also known as totally implantable vascular access devices (TIVADs), are designed to provide long-term access to a patient’s bloodstream. The devices consist of a small injection port and flexible catheter placed beneath the skin, allowing medications, fluids and chemotherapy treatments to be delivered without repeated needle sticks.

However, lawsuits began mounting after recipients reported various brands of port catheters fracturing, migrating or becoming infected. Many plaintiffs say the complications required additional medications and medical procedures to treat infections, prevent or address pulmonary embolisms, and in many cases, undergo revision surgery to remove the failed implant.

At the center of the lawsuits are allegations that the catheters were defectively designed with barium sulfate, a substance used to make the devices visible during imaging scans. Plaintiffs claim the material weakens the polyurethane structure of the catheter over time, making it more likely to develop cracks and fissures that can allow bacteria or broken fragments to enter the bloodstream.

AngioDynamics Port Catheter Lawsuits

All federal AngioDynamics port catheter lawsuits are currently consolidated in the Southern District of California for coordinated discovery and pretrial proceedings before U.S. District Judge Jinsook Ohta. She has called for the parties to prepare a group of representative cases to serve as bellwether test trials.

These early test cases will give the parties an opportunity to see how juries react to evidence and testimony that is a key aspect to virtually all of the claims. The outcomes could help the parties reach an AngioDynamics port catheter lawsuit settlement agreement.

In March, the parties submitted a joint bellwether selection plan, calling for each side to select nine cases each for the bellwether case pool, for a total of 18. Originally, the selections were due by June 5, 2026. However, AngioDynamics called for an additional 60 days to give parties more time to make their selections.

In a court order (PDF) issued on April 24, Judge Ohta agreed to the extension, setting the new deadline for August 4, 2026. The order also calls for the parties to draft a Plaintiff Fact Sheet and Defendant Fact Sheet by July 14, 2026, at which time they will submit a joint proposal for handling the logistics of conducting depositions.

The new schedule calls for preliminary fact discovery for this Initial Bellwether Pool by January 19, 2027. Then, by February 9, 2027, Judge Ohta wants the parties to each choose five cases from the initial pool of 18, narrowing it down to 10 potential bellwether cases. A joint proposed plan for case-specific fact discovery of those 10 selections will be due by March 8, 2027.

According to the schedule, the first bellwether trials would not be ready until mid-2028 at the earliest.

Bard PowerPort Lawsuit Trial Underway

In addition to concerns regarding AngioDynamics’ port catheter systems, C.R. Bard and its Becton Dickinson parent company face more than 3,000 nearly identical Bard PowerPort lawsuits, alleging its port catheters suffer from the exact same problems.

The latest AngioDynamics order comes as a bellwether trial involving a Bard PowerPort lawsuit, filed by Robert Cook, is currently underway before U.S. District Judge David G. Campbell, who is overseeing all consolidated PowerPort claims in the District of Arizona as part of a separate MDL.

The Cook trial is the first port catheter bellwether trial to reach a jury, and is expected to offer an early indication of how these claims may be received in court.

The trial, which began late last month, will be held in two phases. First, the jury will determine if the manufacturer is liable for Cook’s injuries and whether he is entitled to compensatory damages. Then, if they find for the plaintiff, the jury will decide whether Cook is owed punitive damages, which are meant to punish wrongdoing and reckless disregard.

While the outcome of these bellwether trials will not be binding on other claims, what juries decide and how much of a payout they award to plaintiffs is expected to have a significant impact on any settlement negotiations.

However, if the bellwether trials and pretrial proceedings conclude without a port catheter lawsuit settlement or other resolution, the cases would then be remanded back to their originating federal districts for individual trial dates.

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