Source: https://www.druganddevicelawblog.com/2017/04/when-precedents-collide.html
Timestamp: 2019-04-25 10:13:25+00:00

Document:
We read Michelle Yeary’s recent post about In re Fosamax Products Liability Litigation, ___ F.3d ___, 2017 WL 1075047 (3d Cir. March 22, 2017), with particular interest. We were especially intrigued with the research demonstrating that the Fosamax court had departed from numerous prior Third Circuit precedents (including an en banc decision) on the question of preemption being a matter of law – as all the prior decisions had held – as opposed to a question of fact (the Fosamax result).
We note that the defendant in Fosamax shares the same view, and has itself sought en banc reconsideration.
Since Michelle cited over a dozen prior decisions, it’s highly likely that this issue will arise again. That raises the question (if the Fosamax opinion stands, which it shouldn’t) , what happens when precedential decisions of the Third Circuit are in conflict? There certainly appears to be a direct conflict between the cases Michelle cited and the Fosamax decision.
“This Circuit has long held that if its cases conflict, the earlier is the controlling authority and the latter is ineffective as precedents.” United States v. Rivera, 365 F.3d 213, 213 (3d Cir. 2004); see also Holland v. New Jersey Dep’t of Corrections, 246 F.3d 267, 278 (3d Cir. 2001) (“[T]o the extent that [a case within the circuit] is read to be inconsistent with earlier case law, the earlier case law . . . controls”); O. Hommel Co. v. Ferro Corp., 659 F.2d 340, 354 (3d Cir. 1981) (“[A] panel of this court cannot overrule a prior panel precedent. To the extent that [the later case] is inconsistent with [the earlier case, the later case] must be deemed without effect.”).
Id. at 426 (parenthetical and internal citations omitted). As Pardini pointed out, this rule is the opposite of what happens when two statutes are irreconcilable. Id. But instead of the doctrine of implied repeal, the Third Circuit gives effect to its IOPs in a situation of precedential conflict – since the IOPs forbid what Fosamax sought to do, which was to ignore prior holdings of precedential Third Circuit opinions.
This suggestion, however, is in conflict with our earlier decisions . . . which we derive our holding [today]. Because these cases were decided earlier, the rule derived from them is controlling.
Id. at 341. Accord Goldman v. Citigroup Global Markets Inc., 834 F.3d 242, 252 (3d Cir. 2016) (a decision that “is contrary to our own prior precedent” “does not bind us on the question”); United States v. Tann, 577 F.3d 533, 541 (3d Cir. 2009) (“when our panel decisions conflict and our Court has not spoken en banc, however, the earlier decision is generally the controlling authority”); Kossler v. Crisanti, 564 F.3d 181, 194 n.8 (3d Cir. 2009) (“Even assuming arguendo that [the two opinions] are in unavoidable conflict, this Circuit has long held that if its cases conflict, the earlier is the controlling authority and the latter is ineffective as precedents”).
Surace v. Caterpillar, Inc., 111 F.3d 1039, 1046 (3d Cir. 1997).
Thus, unless and until the determination in Fosamax that preemption is an issue of fact is confirmed by an en banc Third Circuit panel, or by an intervening decision of the United States Supreme Court, that determination should have no binding effect in future Third Circuit cases. Third Circuit law is quite clear that where, as in Fosamax, a panel has made a ruling in conflict with prior Third Circuit decisions, the earlier decisions control.
But, as we’ve said before, strange things happen in tort preemption cases. We would have thought that the proposition that preemption was a legal question was supported equally clear precedent, but look at what happened in Fosamax.

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