Insurance Dispute Lawyer Blog
Lead Attorney Jeffrey Berniard of the Berniard Law Firm participated in a recent status conference called by U.S. District Judge David A. Katz of Ohio. The conference was a coordination hearing, and it was the first of several that will be held to determine the strategic direction of DePuy litigation. At the conference, Judge Katz listened to several attorneys argue for a position on the Plaintiffs Steering Committee. Berniard previously submitted his application for a position on the Plaintiff’s Steering Committee, and even if he is not picked as a member, he looks forward to being an active participant in the litigation on the Plaintiffs’ behalf. Judge Katz will consider all applicants, and he will announce the committee selection at a later time.
Jeffrey Berniad is pleased that Judge Katz was ultimately chosen by the Judicial Panel on Multi-District Litigation to preside over the DePuy pretrial matters. Because the Berniard Law Firm represents clients nationwide, Jeffrey Berniard is accustomed to practicing in front of judges located throughout the country. Indeed, Berniard has indicated that Judge Katz is a remarkable judge with a great reputation and that he is happy to be working with him.
As Judge Katz considers the various DePuy matters pending in front of him, including applications to the Steering Committee, Berniard continues to work diligently to achieve justice for those clients who have been harmed by defective DePuy hip implants. In August 2010, DePuy announced a nationwide recall of hundreds of thousands of its ASR hip implant devices due to abnormally high failure rates and structural breakdowns. Hundreds of thousands of patients who received the implants have experienced serious injuries, such as pain and suffering, as a result. Since day one of the recall, Berniard, along with other attorneys, have been seeking recovery on their behalf through the filing of lawsuits with various district courts on a near daily basis.
Along with Berniard’s proactive response to the DePuy recall on behalf of his clients, his participation in the status conference is likewise consistent with his emergence as an expert in the DePuy product litigation. For example, Berniard has taught various continuing legal education (CLE) classes on the matter to other attorneys. Additionally, he has taken an active role consulting clients throughout not only the United States, but in foreign nations as well. Not to mention, he maintains this blog, a web publication with the purpose of informing the general public about the dangers and harms associated with the defective DePuy ASR hip units.
Feel free to contact The Berniard Law Firm today for more information about the DePuy recall and its harmful consequences. Additionally, stay tuned to this blog for continuing updates about the Depuy Hip Recall hearings Jeffrey Berniard will participate in.