In Re: Avandia Marketing Sales Practices and Product Liability Litigation, MDL No. 1871 (E.D. Pa.)
When thousands sued GlaxoSmithKline for misrepresenting Avandia’s risks in causing cardiovascular injuries, Tom Cartmell was appointed to plaintiffs’ leadership in the MDL and was co-lead trial counsel for a bellwether case that settled on the eve of trial, fueling additional settlements for Avandia users across the country. Media reports said GSK reserved more than $3 billion to cover Avandia liabilities.
About The Case
In 2007, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) created an MDL consolidating a number of cases before the Honorable Cynthia M. Rufe in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. After being interviewed in open court, Judge Rufe appointed Tom Cartmell to the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee leading this case. Tom was later selected to be co-lead trial counsel in the lead trial, which settled shortly before the start of trial. All cases in the MDL eventually settled for a confidential amount. Media outlets have reported that the settlements totaled roughly $2 billion.