Heckman v. WE Pharmaceuticals Inc.

65 Pa. D. & C.4th 523, 2004 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 206
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Philadelphia County
DecidedMarch 8, 2004
Docketno. 2337
StatusPublished

This text of 65 Pa. D. & C.4th 523 (Heckman v. WE Pharmaceuticals Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Philadelphia County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Heckman v. WE Pharmaceuticals Inc., 65 Pa. D. & C.4th 523, 2004 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 206 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2004).

Opinion

ACKERMAN, J.,

Defendant, WE Pharmaceuticals Inc., filed the instant petition to dismiss plaintiff’s civil action on the grounds of venue — forum non conveniens pursuant to 42 Pa.C.S. §5322(e) on September 29, 2003.

This case is one of the PPA mass tort litigation cases currently coordinated in the Complex Litigation Center of the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County. It has been brought on behalf of Gary D. Heckman who [525]*525is a resident of the state of California, and, who, at all relevant times, was employed in the state of California. Mr. Heckman claims to have consumed a prescription drug product known as Sinuvent containing phenylpro-panolamine (PPA) in the state of California. Further, he alleges that as a result of exposure to Sinuvent, he sustained an injury that was discovered, diagnosed and treated in the state of California. Plaintiff’s injury occurred in the state of California; Sinuvent was prescribed by a California physician in the state of California; Sinuvent was obtained by the plaintiff at a California pharmacy; all medical treatment received by the plaintiff was received in the state of California; all of plaintiff’s medical records are located in the state of California; plaintiff’s alleged damages occurred in the state of California; none of the documents related to plaintiff’s damages are in Pennsylvania; defendant WE Pharmaceuticals Inc. is a California corporation, with its principal place of business in California; defendant WE Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s witnesses are located in the state of California; all defendant WE Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s records are located in the state of California; the product at issue was not manufactured or sold in Pennsylvania; none of the plaintiff’s experts are located in Pennsylvania, with the exception of one located in Media, Pennsylvania, who was retained solely to review plaintiff’s medical records.

Plaintiff admitted in his response, or in the alternative, motion for additional time to respond to defendant WE Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s petition to dismiss plaintiff’s civil action on grounds of venue in paragraph 9 that “as a result of his ingestion of Sinuvent,” initially purchased on or about October 2, 1998, he was diagnosed with an intracranial hemorrhage on July 20, 1999. (emphasis [526]*526supplied) (See paragraph 9 of defendant WE Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s petition to dismiss.)

In plaintiff’s fact sheet, paragraph 4, he states that “plaintiff was diagnosed on or about July 20, 1999 by O’Connor Hospital as having an intracranial hemorrhage.” (See paragraph 4, plaintiff’s fact sheet.) Plaintiff contends that he first learned that his injuries were related to the ingestion of a product containing PPA on or about April of 2001. (See exhibit “A,” short form complaint.)

An alternate forum for the adjudication of the plaintiff’s claim is readily available without prejudice to the plaintiff since defendant WE Pharmaceuticals Inc. has submitted a written stipulation to accept service of process in the new forum and has agreed therein not to raise the statute of limitations as a defense to the action. Plaintiff Heckman alleges that, as a result of exposure to Sinuvent, he sustained an injury that was discovered, diagnosed and treated in the state of California. All of the witnesses to the alleged purchase of Sinuvent and exposure to PPA reside in the state of California. Moreover, most, if not all, of the witnesses to the discovery, diagnosis and treatment of the claimed injury and other alleged damages claimed in this suit reside in the state of California. The overwhelming majority of Mr. Heck-man’s medical and pharmacy records and health care providers who may testify or otherwise have information relevant on the issues of causation and damages, are located in the state of California.

Plaintiff commenced this action containing counts for negligence, breach of implied and expressed warranties, strict liability, violation of Pennsylvania Unfair Trade [527]*527Practices and Consumer Protection Law and punitive damages by writ of summons on July 19, 2001 in the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County, at July term 2001, no. 2237. (See docket entries.) A short form complaint was subsequently filed on November 28,2001, consistent with the directives of the case management order.

The defendant named in this case is WE Pharmaceuticals Inc., which the plaintiff identifies in the short form complaint as the manufacturer and/or seller of Sinuvent. (See paragraph 7.) WE Pharmaceuticals Inc. is actually a wholesale distributor of pharmaceutical products and not the manufacturer of the prescription-only medication identified as Sinuvent. (See paragraph 4, petition of defendant WE Pharmaceuticals Inc. to dismiss on the grounds of forum non conveniens.) Defendant WE Pharmaceuticals Inc. is a California corporation, with its principal place of business in Ramona, California.

On May 30,2002, defendant filed an answer with new matter to plaintiff’s third amended long form complaint in which under new matter, paragraph 81, defendant WE Pharmaceuticals Inc. raised and preserved the issue of forum non conveniens.

On June 14,2002, defendant WE Pharmaceuticals Inc. filed a praecipe to issue a writ of summons to join additional defendant, Kiel Laboratories Inc.; and on that same date, defendant WE Pharmaceuticals Inc. filed a praecipe to issue a writ of summons to join additional defendant, Sovereign Pharmaceuticals Inc.

On November 6, 2002, defendant WE Pharmaceuticals Inc. filed a joinder complaint against additional [528]*528defendants, Sovereign Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Kiel Laboratories Inc.

On September 29, 2003, defendant WE Pharmaceuticals Inc. filed its petition to dismiss plaintiff’s civil action on the ground of venue — forum non conveniens 42 Pa.C.S. §5322(e). The following statement of facts in the petition are noted in addition to items previously discussed:

(4) Defendant, WE Pharmaceuticals Inc., is a wholesale distributor of pharmaceutical products, not the manufacturer of the prescription-only medication not over the counter medication (OTC) identified as “Sinuvent.”

(5) WE Pharmaceuticals does not manufacture or produce the prescription only medication known as Sinuvent, but has entered into purchase orders with manufacturers, Sovereign and Kiel, additional defendants herein.

(12) WE Pharmaceuticals Inc. is a defendant in one other PPA case entitled, Patricia King v. WE Pharmaceuticals Inc., originally filed as case no. 01 CC 06007 in Orange County Superior Court for the State of California, and is coordinated and consolidated with other California PPA cases in the Superior Court in Los Ange-les County as Judicial Council Coordinated Proceeding (JCCP), case no. 4166.

(13) There are no other “PPA cases” pending against WE Pharmaceuticals Inc. in Philadelphia County, nor is WE Pharmaceuticals Inc. aware of any Philadelphia County or Pennsylvania individuals who have instituted suit against WE Pharmaceuticals for PPA litigation.

(14) Plaintiff, Gary D. Heckman, is presently, and at all times relevant to this litigation has been, a resident of the state of California with a present residence of 4435 [529]*529Romilly Way, Fremont, California and resided there at the time of his alleged PPA injury and damages.

(15) Defendant, WE Pharmaceuticals Inc., at all times relevant hereto was a

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Bluebook (online)
65 Pa. D. & C.4th 523, 2004 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 206, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/heckman-v-we-pharmaceuticals-inc-pactcomplphilad-2004.