Drug manufacturing mega-giant Johnson & Johnson has faced its fair share of lawsuits over the last several years, and one of the latest involves a class of type 2 diabetes treatment drugs known as GLT-2 inhibitors. Johnson & Johnson, along with Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. produces arguably the most popular drug in this class, known as Invokana. Back in 2015, the Food and Drug Administration issued a warning stating that drugs in this class could lead to life-threatening conditions such as ketoacidosis, kidney failure, and even heart attacks.

The latest development in this massive legal matter was issued back on May 1, when a New Jersey litigation court set a schedule for selecting cases to be tried as bellwethers. In legal terms, a bellwether case is a case that tries a widely-contested issue, such as a class-action lawsuit, in order to establish commonalities that will then be used across other cases going forward. It’s not uncommon for these cases to be used exclusively to consolidate discovery and pre-trial matters in order to expedite other lawsuits for the same issue. The information and evidence discovered and pre-trial processes used from these cases will likely play a role in all cases regarding Invokana going forward.

Bellwether trials are also designed to ascertain trial value in a class-action lawsuit. In these instances, the liability of a claimant is determined and then used for all future claimants, making these cases become representative of all cases. While everyone has been uniquely impacted by their own case, a bellwether case serves as the starting point for which a claim can be based and judged going forward.

The Impact to Your Case

If you or a loved one has suffered an injury as a result of Invokana, your case will be impacted by the next year ahead. Bellwether trials are scheduled to begin in September 2018, and until that time cases will continue to be litigated but you could face a number of serious obstacles when it comes to establishing your position and determining the liability both Johnson & Johnson and Janssen may share as a result of your condition.

When you or a loved one sustains an injury as a result of a dangerous pharmaceutical drug, a San Francisco personal injury lawyer is an invaluable resource and ally to help you with your case. With more than 50 years of combined experience, Kaiser Gornick, LLP has the tools and knowledge you need to navigate through one of these complex cases. Our attorneys take a compassionate, understanding approach and learn the full extent of how you have been impacted by your conditions, and we use this to fight for your best interests and protect your rights as a consumer.

Don’t wait! If you are suffering as a result of a dangerous drug such as Invokana, call Kaiser Gornick, LLP today by dialing !