A Dallas federal jury stunned plaintiffs lawyers Thursday when it ruled unanimously that Johnson & Johnson is not financially responsible for injuries a 58-year-old woman suffered from an allegedly defective hip implant.
The jury verdict came in the first of a handful of bellwether trials being conducted to resolve thousands of lawsuits filed by individuals claiming that Johnson & Johnson’s DePuy Orthopaedics unit manufactured and sold its metal-to-metal Pinnacle hip implants even though the company knew they were faulty.
The jury deliberated for nearly two days after hearing nearly seven weeks of trial testimony and arguments from counsel.
Mike Powell, a partner at Locke Lord in Dallas and a lawyer for J&J, did not respond to The Texas Lawbook’s request for an interview. Another Locke Lord partner, Seth Roberts, also represents J&J in the litigation.
Prominent Houston plaintiff’s attorney Mark Lanier represented Kathleen Herlihy-Paoli, who is one of more than 6,000 individuals who sued J&J for damages.
Lanier said the Herlihy-Paoli trial was merely the “first skirmish” in “a long war.”
The 6,000 cases filed throughout the country were consolidated before U.S. District Judge Ed Kinkeade.
The second of the bell weather trials is scheduled to start in January.
Here is an article published by Reuters that provides more details:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/10/23/us-johnson-johnson-trial-verdict-idUSKCN0IC2GH20141023.