In re Oklahoma Breast Implant Cases

847 P.2d 772
Supreme Court of Oklahoma·Decided February 16, 1993·No. No. SCAD 92-15·Published·Cited by 1 cases

Opinions

GENERAL ORDER NO. 1 APPOINTING COORDINATING JUDGE FOR BREAST IMPLANT CASES AND STATING THE AUTHORITY OF THE COORDINATING JUDGE

Pursuant to Application of the parties filed on this Court’s Administrative Docket, and pursuant to the general supervisory and administrative powers granted to this Court by the Oklahoma Constitution, Article 7, Sections 4 and 6, the Court makes the [773]*773following findings and enters the following orders:

1. The controversy involving breast implants has spawned a flood of cases in Oklahoma and across the nation with the problems that always accompany such complex mass-tort litigation. This Court is informed that approximately twenty five personal injury/products liability eases have been filed in Oklahoma County district court to date, and that it is anticipated that numerous other cases will shortly be filed in Oklahoma district courts, mainly in Oklahoma County.

2. The Court finds that these personal injury /products liability actions concerning breast implants involve common pretrial and discovery issues and that coordination for pretrial purposes will best serve the convenience of the parties and witnesses and promote the just and efficient conduct of this litigation. The Court finds that such centralized handling is necessary in order to avoid duplication of discovery, prevent inconsistent pretrial rulings, and conserve the resources of the parties, their counsel and the judiciary.

IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED, ADJUDGED AND DECREED as follows:

1. For purposes of this Order, a case “involving breast implants” means a case in which (i) it is alleged that any breast implant caused a party personal injury or economic loss, whether the theory of recovery in said action is under manufacturer’s products liability, negligence, breach of express or implied warranty, fraud, misrepresentation, loss of consortium or any other legal or equitable theory of recovery, and (ii) any defendant or third-party defendant is a nonresident of Oklahoma.

2. For purposes of this Order, the “Federal Multidistrict Litigation” means the Silicone Gel Breast Implants Products Liability Litigation, MDL-926 pending in the Northern District of Alabama before Honorable Sam. C. Pointer, Jr., Chief Judge, as ordered by the Federal Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation on June 25, 1992.

3. John M. Amick, is hereby appointed Coordinating Judge to exercise the powers set out in paragraph 4 below in any case involving breast implants filed or to be filed in any Oklahoma district court.

4.Except to the extent such power is limited by paragraph 5, below, the Coordinating Judge is empowered to: (1) Establish procedures for service of summons on defendant manufacturers; (2) establish procedures for the use of uniform or master petitions, answers and other pleadings; (3) make rulings relating to production of medical, psychological, psychiatric, employment, disability, income, tax, education, insurance and other relevant records regarding each plaintiff; (4) enter orders relating to procedures for conducting independent medical examinations of plaintiffs; (5) require each plaintiff, at the time the petition is filed or, in cases already filed, within thirty (30) days from entry of the Coordinating Judge’s initial scheduling order, to: (i) serve upon Defendants’ Coordinating Counsel, a verified Fact Sheet in the form to' be provided for in the Case Management Order to be stipulated to by the parties and entered by the Coordinating Judge; and (ii) execute a Release providing for the release of medical, and, if applicable based upon issues in the specific action, psychological, psychiatric, employment, disability, income, tax, education, workers’ compensation insurance and other relevant records; (6) coordinate discovery in the state actions in a manner to avoid unnecessary duplication and in a manner to conserve the resources of the parties, their counsel, and the judiciary; (7) coordinate state court discovery with discovery which has been conducted and will be conducted in the Federal Multi-district Litigation; (8) establish procedures, starting dates, and deadlines for discovery, including discovery through interrogatories, document requests, requests for admissions, and depositions of the parties and of non-parties; (9) establish standardized interrogatories, requests for production, and requests for admission, and procedures and schedules for submission and response to same; (10) establish procedures for the use in the Oklahoma state court cases of the document depository established in the Federal Multidistrict Litigation; (11) establish a central location for maintaining all [774]*774documents produced by Oklahoma state court plaintiffs to alleviate the burden of multiple productions of documents on a plaintiff; (12) establish procedures for use in the Oklahoma state court cases of depositions taken in the Federal Multidistrict Litigation; in this regard, the Coordinating Judge shall follow the principle that current and former manufacturer employees and national experts, except as provided in the Case Management Order agreed to by the parties and in paragraph 7 herein, shall not be subject to multiple depositions for use in Oklahoma state court cases; (13) process and rule upon all motions directed at pleadings, including, but not limited to, any motions based upon any grounds listed at 12 O.S.1991, §§ 2009 and 2012; (14) process and rule upon any motions relating to discovery disputes and where appropriate enter protective orders or enforce discovery; (15) process and rule upon any alleged violations of 12 O.S.1991, § 2011; (16) permit substitution of parties under 12 O.S. 1991, § 2025; (17) impose sanctions for failure to properly permit discovery or for violation of any court orders, as permitted by law; (18) process and rule upon any motions to dismiss pursuant to 12 O.S. § 2012(B), and motions for summary judgment pursuant to Rule 13, Rules for District Courts; (19) conduct scheduling conferences and status conferences and enter orders establishing deadlines; (20) otherwise superintend discovery and coordinate pretrial proceedings up to, but not including conducting pretrial conferences; (21) approve the appointment and assignment of designated Plaintiffs’ Coordinating Counsel; designated Defendants’ Coordinating Counsel; designated Plaintiffs’ Coordinating Committee; and designated Defendants’ Coordinating Committee and assign duties to same; (22) establish procedures for pro hoc vice admission of national counsel for defendant manufacturers; (23) establish procedures for retention and testing of explanted implants, tissue samples and the like; and (24) at the completion of the proceedings contemplated by such order, remand each action to the Court in which the case was pending and to the judge to whom such case was assigned at the time it was transferred to the Coordinating Judge.

5. Testimony taken in the Federal Mul-tidistrict Litigation (“MDL”) proceedings can be used against a defendant in an Oklahoma state court action who is not also a party in the MDL (“the non-MDL defendants”) only under the following conditions:

(a) Oklahoma counsel for the non-MDL defendant is given written notice by any and all Oklahoma counsel intending to use or offer testimony acquired through the MDL format within such time period as set by the Coordinating Judge. Such notice shall specifically designate the portions of the MDL testimony which would directly impact the non-MDL defendant’s exposure independent of such defendant’s status in the chain of product distribution, which the sponsor of such testimony intends to use.

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In re Oklahoma Breast Implant Cases, 847 P.2d 772 (Okla. 1993).

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In Re Oklahoma Breast Implant Cases
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