Ocasio v. C.R. Bard, Inc.

District Court, M.D. Florida·Decided July 5, 2021·No. 8:13-cv-01962·Unknown

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT MIDDLE DISTRICT OF FLORIDA TAMPA DIVISION

DENISE OCASIO and CARMELO OCASIO,

Plaintiffs,

v. Case No: 8:13-cv-1962-CEH-AEP

C.R. BARD, INC. and BARD PERIPHERAL VASCULAR, INC.,

Defendants. ___________________________________/ ORDER This matter comes before the Court on the parties’ motions in limine (Docs. 247– 256), the responses in opposition (Docs. 266–69, 271–75), the parties’ stipulation regarding motions in limine (Doc. 265), and the replies (Docs. 292–94). Hearings were held on the motions on June 22 and July 1, 2021, at which the Court made oral rulings. This Order serves to memorialize the Court’s oral pronouncements. DISCUSSION This is a product-liability action brought by Plaintiffs, Denise and Carmelo Ocasio, to recover for injuries and damages allegedly caused by Bard’s G2X filter, an inferior vena cava filter (“IVC”), that was implanted in Denise Ocasio (“Ocasio”) in April 2010. The case is scheduled for jury trial beginning July 6, 2021. The theories of liability remaining for trial are negligent design defect, strict liability design defect, and loss of consortium. Doc. 354. Plaintiffs and Defendants have filed numerous motions in limine in anticipation of trial. Docs. 247–256. “A Motion In Limine presents a pretrial issue of admissibility of evidence that is likely to arise at trial, and as such, the order, like any other

interlocutory order, remains subject to reconsideration by the court throughout the trial.” Stewart v. Hooters of Am., Inc., No. 8:04-CV-40-EAK-MAP, 2007 WL 1752843, at *1 (M.D. Fla. June 18, 2007) (citation omitted). “The real purpose of a Motion In Limine is to give the trial judge notice of the movant’s position so as to avoid the

introduction of damaging evidence which may irretrievably effect the fairness of the trial. A court has the power to exclude evidence in limine only when evidence is clearly inadmissible on all potential grounds.” Id. (quoting Luce v. United States, 469 U.S. 38, 41 (1984) (federal district courts have authority to make in limine rulings pursuant to their authority to manage trials)). Fed. R. Evid. 403 permits a district court to exclude

relevant evidence when “its probative value is substantially outweighed by a danger of . . . unfair prejudice, confusing the issues, misleading the jury, undue delay, wasting time, needlessly presenting cumulative evidence.” A. Bard’s Motions in Limine 1. Defendants’ Motion in Limine No. 1 to Exclude Testimony and Evidence of Recovery Filter Migration Deaths (Doc. 249)

In their first motion in limine, Defendants C.R. Bard, Inc. and Bard Peripheral Vascular, Inc. (“Bard”), seek to exclude evidence of Recovery filter migration deaths because Plaintiff Denise Ocasio makes no claim in this litigation that her filter migrated to her heart. Doc. 249. Bard argues the incidents are dissimilar to the facts here and too remote to be relevant. Bard notes that the judge in the multi-district Bard IVC filter litigation (“MDL”) ruled in Bard’s favor on a similar motion. Specifically, Bard contends this case does not involve the Recovery filter, does not involve

migration at all, and is not a death case. Plaintiffs respond in opposition urging that the evidence is relevant because the filter was redesigned due to the cephalad migration issues associated with the Recovery filter. Doc. 275. Plaintiffs further represent that the Booker court found the evidence relevant and necessary to the issue of design defect.1 In their reply, Bard argues that Plaintiffs fail to show that Ocasio’s experience

with her G2X filter is substantially similar to the few patients who experienced cephalad migration of the Recovery filter (Doc. 294). For the reasons discussed at the July 1, 2021 hearing, the Court grants in part and denies in part Bard’s motion (Doc. 249). Plaintiffs may present evidence and testimony, generally, regarding the different

models of filters and the progression of the changes in design. Plaintiffs are prohibited from introducing evidence or eliciting testimony regarding Recovery filter migration deaths. As discussed at the hearing, the Court finds testimony regarding migration deaths to be highly prejudicial where, as here, there are no punitive damage claims in the case, Plaintiff did not have a Recovery filter, and there is no evidence that Plaintiff’s

G2X filter migrated.

1 Sherr-Una Booker’s case was one of the bellwether cases in the Bard IVC filter multi-district litigation. See, e.g., Booker v. C.R. Bard, Inc. (In re: Bard IVC Filters Prod. Liab. Litig.), No. CV- 16-00474-PHX-DGC, 2018 WL 1109554 (D. Ariz. Mar. 1, 2018). The Court notes that the Booker plaintiff alleged that her “G2 filter tilted, perforated her IVC, fractured, and migrated.” Id. at *2. In this case, there is no evidence of migration. 2. Defendants’ Motion in Limine No. 2 to Exclude Testimony and Evidence of Recovery Filter Marketing and Communications and other Purported “Bad Acts” (Doc. 250)

In Bard’s second motion in limine, Bard seeks to exclude evidence of Recovery filter marketing, communications, and other bad acts because Bard stopped selling the Recovery filter in 2005 and there’s no failure to warn or negligent marketing claims here. Doc. 250. Plaintiffs respond that the evidence is relevant because Ocasio’s G2X filter is based on the predecessor Recovery filter. Doc. 268. In Bard’s reply, they point out that the MDL judge excluded this evidence in another Bard IVC filter case and that ruling was affirmed by the Ninth Circuit. Doc. 293 (citing In re Bard IVC Filters Prod. Liab. Litig., 816 F. App’x 218, 219 (9th Cir. 2020)). As discussed at the hearing, the relevancy of this material is marginal at best and may promote a decision based on emotion. Accordingly, the Court grants Bard’s motion (Doc. 250).

3. Defendants’ Motion in Limine No. 3 to Exclude Testimony and Evidence of FDA Warning Letter (Doc. 247)

In its third motion in limine, Bard requests the Court exclude any testimony or evidence related to the Federal Drug Administration’s (“FDA”) warning letter issued to Bard in July 2015. Doc. 247. In response, Plaintiffs agree not to elicit testimony regarding topics numbered 1, 2, and 4 through 8 referenced in the FDA warning letter. Doc. 269. The Court notes that the MDL Court has already determined that “[m]any topics in the [FDA] warning letter lack probative value.” In re Bard IVC Filters Prod. Liab. Litig., 2018 WL 1109554, at *3. Still at issue is topic 3, which concerns Bard’s complaint handling and medical device reporting (“MDR”) procedures, and topic 7 concerning Bard’s failure to report complaints involving the Denali and Meridian filters. For the reasons discussed at the

hearing, the Court grants in part and defers in part as to Bard’s motion (Doc. 247). Specifically, the Court grants the motion in limine as to topics 1, 2, and 4 through 8 of the FDA warning letter. The Court defers ruling until trial as to topic 3. In the event Plaintiffs believe Bard has opened the door as to Topic 7 and seek to elicit testimony

related to topic 7, Plaintiffs must first seek a sidebar with the Court. 4. Defendants’ Motion in Limine No. 4 to Exclude Evidence and References to Other Lawsuits and Trials (Doc. 248)

In the motion in limine 4, Bard seeks to exclude reference to other lawsuits and trials regarding Bard and IVC filters. Plaintiffs respond that they should be permitted to impeach witnesses with their testimony given in prior lawsuits. Doc. 270. For the reasons discussed at the hearing, the Court grants Bard’s motion (Doc. 248).

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