The federal judge in the Yaz and Yasmin class action litigation wants “meaningful” settlement negotiations, according to aboutlawsuits.com. As reported in earlier blogs here, there are preliminary bellwether trials in the matter this fall for the more than 6,000 lawsuits in federal courts stemming from serious injuries allegedly caused by the oral contraceptive. After the trials, Judge David Herndon said he wants the parties to engage in settlement discussions.
Judge Herndon’s order last month made it clear that he does not want to preside over the Yaz/Yasmin case forever. In somewhat of a surprise, the order said he is working on a process to encourage settlement talks, but he did not reveal what that process entails. He added that each side would have the chance to provide input on the process when the time comes. Neither side has ever balked at settlement talks, but they have disagreed about when settlement talks should begin, the judge added.
Even as hopes of settlement talks loom on the horizon, plaintiffs continue to file lawsuits claiming injury from Yaz and Yasmin. One estimate puts the number of plaintiffs at 25,000 before it is over. That may be a conservative estimate.
Harrell & Nowak, L.L.C. – New Orleans injury lawyers