The federal court overseeing hundreds of Taxotere hair loss lawsuits has established a Plaintiffs’ and Defendants’ Settlement Committees in an effort to resolve cases or issues relevant to the complaints.
Free Confidential Lawsuit Evaluation: If you or a loved one went bald, suffered permanent hair loss or alopecia after chemotherapy with Taxotere, you should contact our law firm immediately. You may be entitled to compensation by filing a suit and our lawyers can help.
What’s the problem?
According to a Pretrial Order (PDF) issued December 13, 2016, members of the Taxotere settlement committees are to engage in regular discussions rather than partake in detailed discovery or trial preparations, as those activities could distract the parties from “pursuing avenues for potential resolution of some or all of the issues” in the Taxotere hair loss litigation.
More than 260 lawsuits are currently pending in the Taxotere multidistrict litigation (MDL No. 2740) in the Eastern District of Louisiana before Judge Kurt D. Engelhardt. All of the complaints were filed by or on behalf of breast cancer survivors who suffered permanent hair loss or “alopecia” after undergoing chemotherapy with Taxotere (generic: docetaxel).
Temporary hair loss is a common side effect of chemotherapy. However, plaintiffs allege that Taxotere is more likely to result in permanent baldness compared to other, equally effective cancer treatments. While Taxotere has been on the U.S. market for 20 years, it took the manufacturer until December 2015 to change the drug’s labeling to indicate that “cases of permanent alopecia have been reported.”
As part of the MDL, it is expected that Judge Engelhardt will next establish a “bellwether” process, where a small group of cases will be prepared for early trial dates to help the parties gauge how juries may respond to certain evidence and testimony common to the lawsuits. If Taxotere settlements cannot be reached following conclusion of the MDL, the complaints will be remanded to the district courts where they were originally entered to await trial.
Do I Have a Taxotere Lawsuit?
The Class Action Litigation Group at our law firm is an experienced team of trial lawyers that focus on the representation of plaintiffs in Taxotere lawsuits. We are handling individual litigation nationwide and currently accepting new hair loss and balding cases in all 50 states.
Free Case Evaluation: Again, if you suffered permanent hair loss, went bald or developed alopecia after chemo with Taxotere, you should contact our law firm immediately. You may be entitled to a settlement by filing a suit and we can help.