The judge overseeing the Multi-District Litigation regarding testosterone therapy drugs has issued an order stating that he will select a handful of attorneys for leadership roles. The response to this order has been for testosterone therapy lawyers already involved in this litigation to work towards being named to one of these leadership positions. Judges will take this step in a Multi-District Litigation, or MDL, in order to streamline several different aspects of these large legal claims involving hundreds and sometimes thousands of plaintiffs. Doing so will usually lead to a process that moves faster and finds its way to a conclusion more quickly.
About the Low-T MDL
To date, hundreds of individual lawsuits have been filed by consumers against several different manufacturers of low testosterone medication. The medications that have been named as allegedly causing serious health problems include AndroGel, AndroDerm, Axiron, Testim and others. The people who have filed these lawsuits all basically claim that they have been harmed as a result of using these medications that were intended to help them boost their testosterone levels. While many different health problems have been allegedly caused by these medications, the most common and most serious include heart attacks, strokes and even death.
As is often the case when a large number of claims are filed for similar reasons, the court system will decide to consolidate those claims into one large action. These new large cases are known as Multi-District Litigations or MDLs. What is unique about this low-T MDL is that it involves more than one manufacturer, which is somewhat rare. However, the judges that decided to consolidate believe that all of the claims, the types of harm alleged and the potential recoveries made by the plaintiffs are substantially similar.
What This Latest Case Management Order Means
The judge that issued the order reference above did so because he wants central points of contact for certain roles in this low-T MDL. Specifically, the judge stated that he will be choosing at least one low testosterone attorney to serve in each of the following roles:
- Plaintiffs’ Lead Counsel
- Liaison Counsel
- Members of the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee
Generally, these attorneys will be responsible for handling the discovery phase of this MDL, which is a process whereby evidence is exchanged and depositions occur before a matter goes to trial. It would take years if not decades if every individual claim went through the discovery process.
Overall, the low testosterone lawyers involved with this low-T MDL will want to be named to these positions because they can provide those attorneys with the opportunity to exert influence over the entire proceeding. Being named to one of these positions will also help those attorneys immediately understand what’s happening with the MDL overall.
If you or someone you love has been harmed as a result of using low testosterone medication, you need to take steps to protect your legal rights. You can do so by contacting the attorneys at Parilman & Associates today to schedule a free initial consultation. You can either email the firm or call 800-800-DRUG.
