Pagan v. Abbott Laboratories, Inc.

287 F.R.D. 139, 83 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 1465, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 159273, 2012 WL 5289622
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. New York
DecidedOctober 20, 2012
DocketNo. 10-CV-4676(ADS)(WDW)
StatusPublished
Cited by21 cases

This text of 287 F.R.D. 139 (Pagan v. Abbott Laboratories, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Pagan v. Abbott Laboratories, Inc., 287 F.R.D. 139, 83 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 1465, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 159273, 2012 WL 5289622 (E.D.N.Y. 2012).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OF DECISION AND ORDER

SPATT, District Judge.

This case arises from the recall by Abbott Laboratories, Inc. (“Abbott” or “the Defendant”) of five million containers of its Similae brand infant powder formula that were potentially contaminated with beetle parts and larvae, which could cause gastrointestinal discomfort and refusal to eat. The Plaintiffs allege that Abbott engaged in unfair and deceptive practices by misrepresenting the safety of Similae and failing to timely warn consumers of the dangers associated with the contaminated product in violation of the consumer protection statutes in New York and New Hampshire.

Presently before the Court is a motion by the Plaintiffs for class certification and a motion by the Defendant to strike the Plaintiffs’ reply or, in the alternative, to file a sur-reply. For the reasons set forth below, the Court (1) denies the Defendant’s motion to [142]*142strike the Plaintiffs’ reply; (2) grants the Defendant’s motion to file a sur-reply; and (3) denies the Plaintiffs’ motion for class certification.

I. BACKGROUND

Abbott formulates, designs, manufactures, markets, advertises, distributes and sells infant powder formulas under the brand name Similac. In September 2010, during an internal quality review at its Sturgis, Michigan facility (“the Sturgis Facility”), Abbott detected the presence of a common warehouse beetle and its larvae in its powdered formula. Subsequently, on September 20, 2010, Abbott notified the United States Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) “that based on its facility inspection, root cause investigation, and finished and in-process infant formula powder test results they would be initiating a product recall.” (Def. Opp., Ex. E.) As a result, on September 22, 2010, Abbott recalled five million containers of Similac infant formula products (Def. Opp., Exh. F).

The original plaintiffs in this case were Shelley A. Leonard, a resident and citizen of the State of New York (“the New York Plaintiff’); residents and citizens of the State of Texas Esther Aexander, Bridgett Herrera, and Velicia Mata (“the Texas Plaintiffs”); LeRon Davis, a resident and citizen of the State of Ohio (“the Ohio Plaintiff’); and Ashley Sullivan, a resident and citizen of New Hampshire (“the New Hampshire Plaintiff’ and collectively “the Plaintiffs”). According to the Plaintiffs, they each purchased the recalled formula during an undefined “relevant time period,” rather than purchasing a less expensive alternative, based on various statements by Abbott that indicated that Si-milac was safe for consumption by infants. The Plaintiffs also allege that their infant children became ill after consuming the contaminated Similac formula.

On October 10, 2010, the Plaintiffs commenced this action against Abbott in their individual capacity, as parents and natural guardians of their minor children, and as representatives of putative classes of similarly situated individuals from their respective states. In the original complaint, and the first amended class action complaint filed on December 2, 2010, the Plaintiffs seek declaratory, injunctive, and monetary relief. The relief is based on Abbott’s alleged unfair and deceptive acts and practices in misrepresenting that Similac was “safe for the consumption by infants” and failing to warn consumers or recall the contaminated formula sooner, in violation of: (1) New York General Business Law § 349 (“NYGBL”); (2) the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices-Consumer Protection Act (“TDTPA”), Tex.Code Bus. & Com. § 17.41, et seq.; (3) the Ohio Uniform Deceptive Trade Practices Act (“ODTPA”), Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 4165, et seq., and Uniform Consumer Sales Practices Act (“OCSPA” and together with the ODTPA the “Ohio statutes”), Ohio Rev.Code Ann. § 1345, et seq.; and (4) the New Hampshire Consumer Protection Act (“NHCPA”), N.H.Rev.Stat. Ann. § 358-A, et seq. (collectively the “consumer protection statutes”).

On March 15, 2011, Abbott filed a motion for judgment on the pleadings seeking, among other things, the dismissal of the Plaintiffs’ claims under the consumer protection statutes and the cause of action seeking injunctive relief for failure to state a claim. On September 21, 2011, the Plaintiffs moved to amend their complaint to: (1) include Kristie Pagan in the caption of this matter as a party plaintiff and potential representative of the putative New York class; (2) remove plaintiff Shelly A. Leonard from the caption in this matter and dismiss her claims without prejudice with leave to renew her individual claims or any claims on behalf of her infant/ehild in the event the Court certifies a class under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure (“Fed. R. Civ.P.”) 23; (3) include additional factual contentions concerning the alleged false, misleading, fraudulent and deceptive business practices of the Defendant; and (4) to remove the allegation expressly waiving the New York Plaintiffs’ right to seek punitive damages under New York General Business Law § 349. Attached to the Plaintiffs’ motion to amend was a proposed second amended complaint containing these changes. Subsequently, on January 20, 2012, the Court directed the parties to submit supplemental briefing on whether the Recall program insti[143]*143tuted by Abbott mooted the Plaintiffs’ claims under the consumer protection statutes, which was an issue raised by Abbott in opposition to the motion to amend.

On March 5, 2012, the Court issued an Order in which it (1) dismissed the plaintiff Shelly A. Leonard’s claims pursuant to Rule 41(a)(2) without prejudice with leave to renew her individual claims or any claims on behalf of her infant/child in the event the Court certified a class under the Fed. R.Civ.P. 23; (2) granted the Plaintiffs’ motion to add Kristie Pagan as a plaintiff and putative New York class representative; (3) denied the Plaintiffs’ motion to amend the complaint to remove the New York Plaintiffs express waiver of punitive damages under the NYGBL; (4) granted the Defendant’s motion for judgment on the pleadings pursuant to Rule 12(c) dismissing the Ohio Plaintiffs claims under the OCSPA and ODTPA; (5) directed the Texas Plaintiffs to provide notice to Abbott within twenty days of the date of the Order and notify the Court when they had done so and abated the Texas Plaintiffs’ TDTPA claim for sixty days after the Texas Plaintiffs served written notice; (6) denied the Defendant’s motion for judgment on the pleadings pursuant to Rule 12(c) as to the Plaintiffs’ claims under the NYGBL, NHCPA, and TDTPA; (7) granted the Defendant’s motion for judgment on the pleadings pursuant to Rule 12(c) as to the Plaintiffs’ claim for injunctive relief; (8) directed the Plaintiffs to file a second amended complaint consistent with the rulings contained within the Order within 20 days of the date of the Order and advised that if the Texas Plaintiffs did not comply with the notice requirement within twenty days of the date of the Order, the Court would consider a motion by the Defendant to dismiss any claims asserted on behalf of the Texas Plaintiffs in the second amended complaint. See Leonard v. Abbott Labs., Inc., 10-CV-4676(ADS)(WDW), 2012 WL 764199, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 30608 (E.D.N.Y. Mar.

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287 F.R.D. 139, 83 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 1465, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 159273, 2012 WL 5289622, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/pagan-v-abbott-laboratories-inc-nyed-2012.