Opinion ID: 150891
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Pre-trial Orders

Text: On November 9, 2007 the district court entered several pre-trial orders with respect to the claims of those plaintiffs who could not or chose not to participate in the MSA. PTO 281 required non-settling plaintiffs to notify their healthcare providers that they must preserve evidence pertaining to the plaintiffs’ use of Vioxx. Plaintiffs were also required to produce pharmacy records and medical authorizations, answers to interrogatories, and a Rule 26(a)(2) report from a medical expert attesting that the plaintiff sustained an injury caused by Vioxx and that the injury occurred within a specified time period. Failure to comply could result in dismissal of the plaintiffs’ claims with prejudice.2 Pre-trial order 30 (PTO 30) imposed a stay of discovery so that plaintiffs could consider the MSA, with exceptions for discovery activities required by PTO 28 and previously scheduled de bene esse depositions. Pre-trial order 31 (PTO 31) enforced the terms of Section 1.2.8 of the MSA by requiring all counsel of record for plaintiffs to register all claims in which they had an interest and sign a “Registration Affidavit,” in which they had to attest to whether they agreed to the terms of the MSA and would recommend that their clients enroll in the MSA. 1 PTO 28 is characterized as a Lone Pine order, named for Lore v. Lone Pine Corp., No. L-33606-85, 1986 WL 637507 (N.J. Super. Ct. Law Div. Nov. 18, 1986). “Lone Pine orders are designed to handle the complex issues and potential burdens on defendants and the court in mass tort litigation.” Acuna v. Brown & Root Inc., 200 F.3d 335, 340 (5th Cir. 2000). 2 Pre-trial Order 29 (PTO 29) is virtually identical to PTO 28, differing primarily because it applies to plaintiffs whose claims were transferred to the MDL after November 9, 2007 and therefore sets different deadlines. 3 Case: 09-30446 Document: 00511176837 Page: 4 Date Filed: 07/16/2010 No. 09-30446