Johnson v. Johnson & Johnson

263 F.R.D. 312, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 108073
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. North Carolina
DecidedNovember 13, 2009
DocketNo. 5:08-MD-1959-BO; Civil Action Nos. 3:08-930 (DNJ), 3:08-931(DNJ), 3:08-932(DNJ), 3:08-933(DNJ), 3:08-3337(DNJ)
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 263 F.R.D. 312 (Johnson v. Johnson & Johnson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. North Carolina primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Johnson v. Johnson & Johnson, 263 F.R.D. 312, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 108073 (E.D.N.C. 2009).

Opinion

ORDER

TERRENCE W. BOYLE, District Judge.

This matter is before the Court on Plaintiffs’ Motion to Certify Class Action pursuant to Rule 23 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. For the reasons set forth below, Plaintiffs’ Motion is DENIED.

INTRODUCTION

Panacryl Absorbable Sutures (“Panacryl Sutures”) are synthetic, braided, undyed, absorbable surgical sutures comprised of a co-polymer of lactide and glycolide designed to remain in the body for 24-36 months after surgery to provide wound support. Panacryl Sutures were designed and manufactured by Defendant Ethicon, Inc. (“Ethicon”) and marketed and sold to physicians, hospitals, and other users by Defendant Johnson & Johnson Healthcare Systems, Inc. Defendant Johnson & Johnson is the owner of both Ethicon and Johnson & Johnson Healthcare Systems, Inc.

Ethicon and Johnson & Johnson Healthcare Systems began marketing Panacryl Sutures in October, 1999, and stopped manufacturing Panacryl Sutures as a stand-alone product for general surgical application in July, 2002. During that time, over two million packages of Panacryl Sutures were sold. In May, 2006, Ethicon issued a “Dear Doctor” letter which was classified by the FDA as a Class II Recall.

The named Plaintiffs, Ayssa Johnson, Denise Rondot, Maureen Thompson, Sandra Vermilyea, and Brian Edwards, filed suit against Defendants in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Middlesex County. Plaintiffs allege that Panacryl Sutures are defective in that they cause a high rate of foreign body reactions when used as directed. Plaintiffs also allege that Defendants failed to provide adequate warning of the dangers associated with Panacryl Sutures. Defendants removed all five cases to the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey. The Panel on Multidistrict Litigation transferred these cases to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Western Division.

[318]*318On December 30, 2008, this Court entered an Order setting forth the schedule for completing expert depositions and submitting briefs on the issue of class certification. On December 31, 2008, Plaintiffs filed a Motion to Certify National Class Action. Defendants responded on February 16, 2009, and filed a supplemental memorandum in opposition on July 22, 2009. A hearing was held in Raleigh, North Carolina, on July 22, 2009. The motion is now ripe for ruling.

DISCUSSION

Granting class status on motion by either party is soundly within the discretion of the district court. Central Wesleyan College v. W.R. Grace & Co., 6 F.3d 177 (4th Cir.1993). The decision to certify a plaintiff class requires a two step analysis. First, the court examines whether the four prerequisites set forth in Rule 23(a) are met. If so, the court must then decide whether the controversy in question qualifies under one or more of the three permissible class action categories defined by Rule 23(b). See Amchem Products, Inc. v. Windsor, 521 U.S. 591, 117 S.Ct. 2231, 138 L.Ed.2d 689 (1997). The party seeking certification bears the burden of proof. See Windham v. American Brands, Inc., 565 F.2d 59, 65 (4th Cir.1977); Rodger v. Electronic Data Systems, 160 F.R.D. 532 (E.D.N.C.1995).

I. Choice of Law

Before determining whether the requirements of Rule 23 are met, this Court must determine which state or states’ substantive law will apply to the prospective class members’ claims. District courts exercising diversity jurisdiction must apply the choice of law rules of the forum state. Klaxon Co. v. Stentor Elec. Mfg. Co., 313 U.S. 487, 496, 61 S.Ct. 1020, 85 L.Ed. 1477 (1941). In MDL proceedings, the transferee court must apply the law of the state in which the transferor court is located, including the transferor forum’s choice of law rules. In re Vioxx Prods. Liab. Litig, 239 F.R.D. 450, 454 (E.D.La.2006). The prospective class representatives filed their claims in the Superior Court of New Jersey. Defendants removed all five eases to the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey. The Panel on Multidistrict Litigation transferred these cases the Eastern District of North Carolina. As such, New Jersey’s choice of law rules apply.

New Jersey applies a “flexible ‘governmental-interest’ test that seeks to apply the law of the state with the greatest interest in governing the specific issue in the underlying litigation.” Fu v. Fu, 160 N.J. 108, 733 A.2d 1133, 1138 (1999); Veazey v. Doremus, 103 N.J. 244, 510 A.2d 1187, 1189 (1986). This test requires a two step analysis. The first step is to determine if a conflict exists between the substantive laws of New Jersey and other interested states. Veazey, 510 A.2d at 1189. If a conflict exists, the second step is to determine which state has the most significant relationship to the occurrence and the parties. Fu, 733 A.2d at 1138.

Plaintiffs contend that New Jersey’s choice of law rules require the application of New Jersey’s substantive law to all prospective class members’ claims. “The plaintiffs have the burden of showing that common questions of law predominate, and they cannot meet this burden when the various laws have not been identified and compared.” Gariety v. Grant Thornton, LLP, 368 F.3d 356, 370 (4th Cir.2004); In re Vioxx, 239 F.R.D. at 455 (“Parties seeking to have the law of a single jurisdiction applied to a nationwide class must assess the laws of all interested jurisdictions, not just the one of their choosing.”). Plaintiffs have not identified and compared the laws of all interested states and have thus failed to carry this burden. See Gariety, 368 F.3d at 370; In re Telectronics Pacing Systems, 172 F.R.D. 271 (S.D.Ohio 1997) (granting class certification only after Plaintiffs provided an analysis of the laws of all 50 states and a system of sub classes to take into account variations in state law); In re Vioxx, 239 F.R.D. at 455 (citing Castano v. Am. Tobacco, 84 F.3d 734 (5th Cir.1996)).

A. Conflicts Between the Substantive Laws of the Interested States

Conflicts exist between the substantive laws of New Jersey and other inter[319]*319ested states with regard to the class members’ claims.1 For example, while the New Jersey Products Liability Act recognizes a cause of action for strict products liability, N.J. Stat. Ann. § 2A:58C, named Plaintiff Sandra Vermilyea’s home state of North Carolina does not recognize strict liability in products liability cases. See N.C. Gen.Stat. § 99B-1.1 (2008) (“There shall be no strict liability in tort in product liability actions.”).

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263 F.R.D. 312, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 108073, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/johnson-v-johnson-johnson-nced-2009.