More Than 2,500 Bard Powerport Lawsuits Filed in Federal Courts Nationwide

First trial is scheduled to begin in April 2026, over allegations that Bard PowerPort devices are prone to failure following implantation.

With federal bellwether trials now scheduled to begin next year, C.R. Bard continues to face a growing number of claims that its PowerPort port catheter implants were defectively designed, leading to device migration, infections and the need for removal surgery.

The Bard PowerPort is a totally implantable vascular access device (TIVAD) marketed as a safe and effective way to give physicians a reliable way to deliver drugs directly into a patient’s bloodstream when repeated injections are expected, such as during chemotherapy. The system consists of a small injection port where the needle is inserted, which connects to a polyurethane catheter that delivers medication directly into the bloodstream.

While the healthcare industry has heavily adopted use of the products, individuals have reported a growing number of port catheter fracture and migration injuries in recent years, with evidence indicating the problems stem from a defective design involving the reliance on barium sulfate in the catheter’s construction, which contributes to premature breakdown of the component in certain circumstances.

Given the growing number of Bard PowerPort lawsuits raising similar questions of fact and law, all claims filed in federal courts were consolidated into a Bard PowerPort MDL in July 2023, which are being overseen by U.S. District Judge David G. Campbell in the District of Arizona. Similar allegations have also been raised in nearly 270 Angiodynamics port catheter lawsuits, which have been consolidated separately.

After being assigned the Bard PowerPort litigation, Judge Campbell ordered the parties to prepare for a series of “bellwether” trials that will gauge how juries are likely to respond to the strengths and weaknesses of the claims, arguments and evidence likely to be repeated in thousands of complaints.

Earlier this year, the Court selected six Bard PowerPort lawsuits that are eligible for the first bellwether trials, which have been undergoing final preparations.

The parties met on Thursday to bring the court up to date on the status of the litigation. According to a joint memorandum (PDF) filed on December 2 ahead of the conference, there are currently 2,527 claims filed in the MDL, representing a sharp increase in the number of cases over the past few months.

In addition, another 172 claims are filed in New Jersey, as part of a multicounty litigation (MCL), and another 23 claims are filed in Maricopa County in Arizona state court, 21 of which are consolidated before Arizona Judge Timothy J. Ryan.

The first case will go before a jury on April 21, 2026, followed by trial dates on July 7, August 18, October 13, December 1, and February 2, 2027. The schedule sets the trials several weeks later than originally thought. The first trial will involve claims filed by Robert Cook of Minnesota.

Plaintiffs and defendants reported in their memorandum that case-specific witness depositions for all bellwether trials were completed on October 25, except for one case, which is expected to be finished by January 16, 2026.

The outcomes of these early bellwether trials will not have any binding impact on other claims pending in the MDL or state courts, but they will be closely watched by lawyers involved in the litigation. The average jury awards are expected to have a major impact on future Bard PowerPort lawsuit settlement negotiations.

However, if the bellwether trials do not result in a global agreement to settle Bard PowerPort lawsuits, Judge Campbell may begin remanding hundreds of individual claims to various U.S. District Courts nationwide for separate trials in the future.