Women Can File Depo-Provera Brain Tumor Lawsuits Directly in MDL: Court Order

Judge presiding over Depo-Provera Meningioma lawsuits authorized direct filing, indicating traditional short-form and master complaints are not necessary.

The U.S. District Judge presiding over all Depo-Provera brain tumor lawsuits has approved a plan that allows women to file new cases directly in the federal multidistrict litigation (MDL), to increase efficiency and avoid delays as a rapidly growing number of claims continue to be brought against the manufacturers of the popular birth control shot.

The Depo-Provera MDL was established last month in the U.S. District Court for Northern District of Florida, where Judge M. Casey Rodgers was tasked with guiding the litigation through coordinated discovery and pretrial proceedings.

Judge Rodgers is a veteran of large mass tort litigation, and has moved to quickly push the lawsuits over Depo-Provera brain tumors toward trial, and set up procedures that will help bring the claims to a resolution.

As part of that swift movement, the Court announced late last week that not only can new cases be directly filed in the Northern District of Florida, regardless of where the former Depo-Provera users were diagnosed with a brain tumor, but also that the litigation will forego the usual use of a master complaint and short-form complaints.

Judge Rodgers also indicated that the parties agreed there is no need for a traditional “Science Day,” which are typically scheduled early in the pretrial proceedings to educate the court on the science behind Depo-Provera brain tumor side effects, and complex issues that will come up in the litigation.

Depo-Provera has been on the market for more than three decades, and millions of women have received the quarterly birth control injections to help prevent pregnancy.  However, the litigation emerged late last year, after studies found a link between meningioma and Depo-Provera, with some women facing more than five times the risk of developing brain tumors.

As a result of the findings, dozens of women are now pursuing lawsuits against manufacturers of the Depo-Provera shot, each raising similar allegations that women and the medical community were not adequately warned that side effects of Depo-Provera may cause brain tumors. However, as more women learn about the cause of their injuries, it is widely expected that thousands of claims may ultimately be pursued.

Judge Permits Direct Depo-Provera Lawsuit Filings in MDL

Judge Rodgers issued a case management order (PDF) on March 15, following a case management conference held two days earlier, establishing that new claims can be directly filed with the MDL court, avoiding the need for a process of transferring Depo-Provera lawsuits from their originating courts to the Northern District of Florida.

“Turning to the Parties’ Joint Report, the Court was impressed with the amount of work accomplished by the Parties and the number of agreements reached, as demonstrated by several proposed stipulated orders attached to the Parties’ Rule 26 Report,” Judge Rodgers wrote. “The Parties were able to agree on procedures for direct filing, service through MDL Centrality, confidentiality, early proof of use and injury, and also discovery protocols. With slight modifications, the Court has now adopted the Parties’ stipulations as orders of the Court.”

The order also indicates that a webpage for the Depo-Provera MDL is now live. The next status conference has yet to be scheduled.

Depo-Provera Lawsuit Lead Lawyers Appointed

In a pretrial order (PDF) issued on March 16, Judge Rodgers also announced the appointment of 63 Depo-Provera attorneys to serve in leadership positions during the MDL proceedings.

These include one attorney selected for lead counsel, two others chosen for co-lead counsel, a plaintiffs’ liaison, a seven-person Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee, a 10-person steering committee, a 10-person Science and Experts Subcommittee, six attorneys appointed to a law and briefing subcommittee, a seven-person ESI and Discovery Subcommittee, six appointments to a trial subcommittee and a Data Administration Subcommittee, as well as a three-person Class Action Committee, a two-person Common Benefit Committee, and two appointments to serve as Pro Se Plaintiff Liaison Counsel

These attorneys will take certain actions during coordinated pretrial proceedings to benefit and represent all women who are currently pursuing Depo-Provera lawsuits.

The appointments come shortly after Judge Rodgers announced the selection of five “pilot” lawsuits that will serve as early test cases to help gauge how juries may respond to certain evidence and testimonies likely to be repeated throughout the litigation.

How To File Depo-Provera Brain Tumor Lawsuit

As the shape of litigation takes form at a rapid pace, women are continuing to come forward each month to file claims to seek compensation for their injuries suffered after taking the birth control injection. 

Depo-Provera brain tumor lawyers are currently providing free consultations and claim evaluations for women throughout the U.S. who have suffered a Depo-Provera brain tumor, resulting in symptoms such as:

• Persistent headaches
• Dizziness
• Memory loss
• Meningioma diagnosis

These attorneys can help determine whether financial compensation may be available from drug makers who have failed to warn women about the serious health risks associated with the contraceptive. The new direct filing order will help to expedite the process.

To see if you qualify for a Depo-Provera brain tumor lawsuit, submit information about your claim to be reviewed by a team of Depo-Provera lawsuit lawyers. All Depo-shot lawsuits will be handled on a contingency fee basis, meaning there are no fees or expenses unless a settlement is obtained.