AngioDynamics Port Catheter Lawyers Seek Leadership Roles in MDL

Judge is reviewing a motion to appoint a group of 12 lawyers involved in AngioDynamics port catheter lawsuits to serve in various leadership positions, which will be discussed at a status conference on December 19.

Plaintiffs’ lawyers involved in the federal AngioDynamics port catheter lawsuits have proposed that a group of 12 attorneys involved in the litigation serve in various leadership positions during the MDL proceedings, taking actions that benefit all plaintiffs pursuing claims over fractures, migrations and infections linked to the implants.

The AngioDynamics line of port catheters are implantable venous access devices, consisting of a port component that provides easy access for doctors to administer medications and other fluids, as well as a catheter that carries those fluids into the patient’s bloodstream. They are commonly implanted for patients undergoing chemotherapy or other treatments, and have been in use for more than two decades.

Despite claims made by the manufacturer that the devices are safe and can be left under the skin for long periods of time, a growing number of port catheter lawsuits allege that the AngioDynamics products were defectively designed and are prone to developing microfractures due to the materials used in their construction.

More than 60 product liability lawsuits have been filed against AngioDynamics throughout the federal court system, each raising similar allegations that patients experienced devastating injuries, due to the high risk of fracturing, migrating out of place, or causing the development of severe infections. However, AngioDynamics port catheter lawyers expect that number to increase significantly in the coming months and years.

Due to similar questions of fact and law raised in a growing number of complaints, the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) issued a transfer order in October 2024, calling for all federal AngioDynamics port catheter lawsuits to be centralized in the Southern District of California under U.S. District Judge Jinsook Ohta, for coordinated pretrial proceedings as part of a multidistrict litigation (MDL).

At an initial status conference last month, Judge Ohta called on plaintiffs to propose a leadership structure for AngioDynamics port catheter attorneys, to fairly represent the needs and interests of all plaintiffs involved in the litigation.

On December 13, a proposed AngioDynamics lawsuit leadership structure (PDF) was submitted by plaintiffs, identifying 12 lawyers that seek to serve in various leadership positions, including three to serve as Co-Lead Counsel, one to serve as Plaintiffs’ Liaison Counsel, as well as a Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee consisting of four members, and a Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee (PSC) of four other attorneys.

If the proposed leadership structure is approved, these lawyers will be tasked with coordinating status updates for the court, arguing certain pretrial motions, conducting discovery and depositions into common issues that impact all claims, and potentially negotiating a framework for Angiodymanics port catheter settlements that may help to resolve large numbers of claims. However, each individual plaintiff will still retain their own lawyer to meet various deadlines and establish that they meet the criteria for an AngioDynamics port catheter injury lawsuit payout.

The next status conference is set for this Thursday, December 19, where the proposed plaintiffs’ leadership plan will be discussed.

Following coordinated discovery and any bellwether trials scheduled in the AngioDynamics port catheter MDL (multidistrict litigation), if the parties are unable to negotiate settlements or another resolution for the injury claims, Judge Ohta may later remand each individual lawsuit back to the U.S. District Court where it was originally filed for trial.