WARNING- FAKE XARELTO SETTLEMENT PHISHING SCAM

It has been brought to our attention that individuals are attempting to perpetrate a scam by contacting Xarelto claimants directly and claiming to offer settlements on behalf of Johnson & Johnson.  We understand this scam involves individuals who do not work for or have a relationship with Johnson & Johnson.

No settlement discussions have commenced at this point and there is no settlement to report.  Please refrain from providing personal information to individuals that call or contact you about a Xarelto settlement. 

It is our understanding that the scam artists have requested names, social security numbers and bank routing numbers.  In the event you are contacted, gather all possible information so that we can notify the Court and any other proper authorities of the same.  The Plaintiffs' Executive Committee has notified Defendants' Counsel of this matter and the MDL Court.  

Jury Finds For Victims of DePuy Pinnacle Hips

Today, a jury found Johnson & Johnson liable with a $497.6 million verdict in the second bellwether trial in the multidistrict litigation over allegedly defective Pinnacle hip prosthetics manufactured by its DePuy Orthopaedics Inc. unit. The case involved five separate plaintiffs. The first bellwhether case tried last fall was a defense verdict.

The trial took place in Texas after hearing 37 days of testimony. The jury received the case late in the afternoon on March 10th and deliberated for four more days before reaching the verdict.

This is the second major defeat for Johnson & Johnson in a little over a month. The first defeat resulted a St. Louis jury awarded an injured plaintiff $72 million against Johnson & Johnson for their talc-based powders. That theory involved the powder creating an increased risk of ovarian cancer.  

Our firm has been handling Pinnacle and ASR hip cases for nearly six years. If you or a loved one were implanted with a DePuy Pinnacle or ASR metal-on-metal hip and suffered injuries, please contact Booth Samuels at toll free 1-866-515-8880 or at booths@pittmandutton.com.

BCBS Anti-Trust Case in the News

The Alabama BlueCross BlueShield anti-trust case has received some press in the local news this week. The case has been consolidated into an MDL in front of Judge Proctor, in Birmingham, Alabama. Although the case has garnered plenty of local interest, it has ramifications nationwide. The story is mostly about the provider-side of the lawsuit. There is a separate, although closely related, subscriber track. Pittman, Dutton & Hellums is representing plaintiffs on the subscriber side. 

To read the story, click here.

This is not the only bad press BlueCross BlueShield has received lately from the local media. The non-profit was recently ridiculed for ramming a bill through the state legislature which made executive pay confidential. In the past, the mega-insurer had to disclose the salaries of its executives. Not anymore.

To read that story, click here.