Zantac MDL Moves Forward Amid COVID-19 – Unique Team of Plaintiffs’ Attorneys Selected For Leadership

Following setbacks due to the COVID-19 crisis, the legal battle against Zantac has resumed. The Southern District of Florida has appointed an unusually large and diverse team of plaintiffs’ leadership to spearhead the multidistrict litigation—26 lawyers now sit on leadership in the Zantac lawsuit.

The timeline of the litigation process was put into question when the coronavirus outbreak began in early April. However, the overseeing judge, the honorable Robin L. Rosenberg, insisted on pushing the case forward via videoconferences. A temporary defense team was created to carry on with litigation. Plans for a status conference on March 20 were canceled in wake of the shutdown, and the conference was postponed until May 12.

Zantac, the popular heartburn drug, has been criticized for containing high levels of NDMA, a cancer-causing chemical. The Food and Drug Administration finally asked all makers of Zantac and its generics to pull the product from shelves on April 1.

More than 140 Zantac lawsuits have been filed for injuries believed to be caused by the drug. The Florida court system consolidated the lawsuits in February, focusing on NDMA and a lack of appropriate warnings from manufacturers.

The 26-person team that has been selected to lead the litigation is almost equal in terms of gender – a rather progressive notion, given that leadership roles are usually appointed more often to male attorneys. Judge Robin L. Rosenberg said that she wanted a diverse team that would match the diversity of those who have been injured by Zantac.

The videoconferences and large team of plaintiffs make the Zantac lawsuit unique in the world of multidistrict litigation.

TorHoerman Law will provide additional updates to the Zantac MDL as the Zantac lawsuit progresses.