Published: August, 2023. TV spend from multiple sources for a recent 3 months period.
In this edition of mass tort spends, we bring you an exclusive glimpse into the hottest trending torts and ad spends in the month of July.
This piece delves deep into the hottest trends in mass tort cases, providing valuable insights.
Camp Lejeune
The spends on this tort has dropped below $2 million for the first time in the last few months. The JAG’s slow response to claims raises questions about resource constraints or possible intentional delays.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has made an appeal to federal judges to expedite the legal process of this complex and sprawling case. The pace of lawsuits filed under CLJA has slowed, suggesting a tactical shift towards filing administrative cases instead. Over 45,000 Camp Lejeune water contamination claims had already been filed.
A proposed Global Case Management Order has been proposed by plaintiffs’ counsel and JAG, which would extend all individual case deadlines until September 1, 2023.
Fire Fighting Foam
The remarkable increase in ad spends on fire fighting foam reflects the significant impact of AFFF on numerous lives. Unlike other defendants causing delays, 3M appears willing to compensate. This is particularly evident, considering that individual settlements for firefighters and service members will be much smaller compared to the recent water contamination settlement they reached.
Nearly 500 new cases were transferred into the AFFF class action MDL over the past month. This marks the highest cases recorded ever since the MDL was initiated 5 years ago. Potential settlements are expected to exceed $10 billion with 3M and the possibility of establishing a favorable precedent for individual AFFF cancer lawsuits.
Chemical Hair Straightener
Despite a notable decrease in spending this month, the hair relaxer class action litigation is gaining momentum. Last month, more than 50 new hair relaxer cancer lawsuits were added to the MDL, marking the highest monthly total since its inception and continuing the upward trend seen over the past 4 months. From only 21 cases in February, the MDL now has 236 pending cases.
Talc
Talc sees a spike in ad spends yet again this month. Despite the 24 year old plaintiff being awarded over $18 million, it is unlikely he will receive the money before the bankruptcy proceedings are completed.
Nonetheless, lawyers affirm his contentment with the verdict, hopeful that it will safeguard others in the future. Interest in this tort keeps growing each month, and this settlement is promising for those seeking justice against the pharmaceutical giant claiming product safety.
Roundup
Roundup seems to have the highest ad spends in 2023 so far.
The Roundup trials set for this fall in Philadelphia are expected to take a crucial turn. With nearly 200 cases already in line, there is a likelihood of more cases joining the litigation. Monsanto and Bayer have recently incurred a fine of $7 million due to their involvement in deceptive practices.
Paraquat
Spends for Paraquat saw a decline in July. In the past month, 223 new cases were filed or transferred into the Paraquat class action MDL, a decrease from the previous month and slightly below the monthly average of 289 seen since the beginning of the year. This suggests a possible overall slowdown in the volume of new cases moving forward.
The first Paraquat trial is set for October 2023.
