Monday, June 1, 2026

Talc Litigation Drives Volume as Depo-Provera and GLP-1 Dockets Rise

We tracked 585 new filings this past week, driven primarily by mature consumer product and pharmaceutical mass torts. The Johnson & Johnson Talcum Powder Products Marketing, Sales Practices and Products Liability Litigation (MDL 2738) led the volume with 182 new complaints, heavily concentrated by Duncan Stubbs with 109 petitions, followed by Wagstaff Law Firm and The Miller Firm LLC. The newly formed Depo-Provera (Depot Medroxyprogesterone Acetate) Products Liability Litigation (MDL 3140) captured the second spot, adding 76 lawsuits brought primarily by Hochman Law Firm PLLC and Seeger Weiss. In the Hair Relaxer Marketing, Sales Practices, and Products Liability Litigation (MDL 3060), plaintiffs' counsel filed 46 cases, with Ashcraft Gerel LLP leading the tranche. The Uber Technologies, Inc., Passenger Sexual Assault Litigation (MDL 3084) saw 45 new actions, predominantly from Phillips & Associates Law Firm PC. Rounding out the top five, Dicello Levitt LLP filed 42 cases in the Philips Recalled CPAP, Bi-Level PAP, and Mechanical Ventilator Products Liability Litigation (MDL 3014).

Metabolic and psychiatric drug dockets generated significant secondary activity. The Glucagon-like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists (GLP-1 RAs) Products Liability (Gastroparesis) Litigation (MDL 3094), alleging the popular weight-loss drugs cause severe gastrointestinal paralysis, expanded by 40 filings led by Morgan & Morgan PA with 11 complaints and Justpoint PLLC with seven. A closely related venue, the Glucagon-like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists (GLP-1 RAs) Non-Arteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy (NAION) Products Liability Litigation (MDL 3163), alleging the same drug class causes irreversible vision loss, saw five new cases from firms including Seeger Weiss. In the behavioral sphere, the Social Media Adolescent Addiction Personal Injury Products Liability Litigation (MDL 3047), alleging platforms intentionally designed algorithms to induce compulsive youth engagement, added 36 complaints spearheaded by Frantz Law Group APLC and Keller Postman LLC. Meanwhile, the Suboxone (Buprenorphine/Naloxone) Film Products Liability Litigation (MDL 3092), alleging the opioid dependence treatment causes severe dental decay, grew by 25 filings, with Johnson Becker PLLC contributing 17 of those petitions. Keller Postman also drove volume in the Paragard IUD Products Liability Litigation (MDL 2974), filing seven of the nine new complaints alleging the copper contraceptive device is prone to breaking upon removal.

Agricultural chemical dockets and surgical mesh disputes maintained a steady baseline of new complaints. The Paraquat Products Liability Litigation (MDL 3004) drew 11 new filings, with Pulaski Kherkher PLLC initiating six actions, while the Roundup Products Liability Litigation (MDL 2741) added six cases, half of which were filed by Clark Chambers PLLC. Surgical mesh dockets saw incremental growth, including six cases in the Davol, Inc./C.R. Bard, Inc., Polypropylene Hernia Mesh Products Liability Litigation (MDL 2846) filed largely by Lanier Law Firm, alongside a single petition in the Covidien Hernia Mesh Products Liability Litigation (No. II) (MDL 3029) by the Law Office of Robert King PLLC. Additional technology-focused youth injury claims emerged in the Gateway Video Game Addiction Litigation (MDL 3109), where a coalition including McSweeney Langevin LLC filed four cases, and the Roblox Child Sexual Exploitation/Asault Litigation (MDL 3166), which saw four complaints from firms including Anapol Weiss and Dolman Law Group.

Veterans Group Unveils AI Framework to Address Camp Lejeune Claims Backlog

On May 31, 2026, Veterans First For America unveiled a groundbreaking architectural design modeling a "super AI Law notion" using Google AI, aimed at resolving the massive backlog of over 440,000 toxic exposure claims under the Camp Lejeune Justice Act. The proposed solution integrates the data infrastructure of AI-119 Vulcan QAIA and AI Legal Mate with the advanced behavioral capabilities of ACTi AI Athena. The concept, which emerged during a recent legal webinar when an intern's question was answered by a Google Quantum AI expert, seeks to streamline the historically sluggish administrative processing of water contamination claims. For plaintiffs' firms navigating the complex and severely backlogged federal remediation program, this technological intervention could potentially accelerate case evaluations and settlements for affected service members and their families.

College Quarterback Sues NCAA Amid Explosive Sports Betting Allegations

On May 30, 2026, details emerged from court documents revealing that college football quarterback Brendan Sorsby made thousands of sports bets totaling at least $90,000. The filings indicate that Sorsby placed over $30,000 in wagers during his tenure at Indiana, including bets on his own team's games, and subsequently transferred at least $60,000 to a friend to place proxy bets on a FanDuel account while playing for Cincinnati. On May 18, 2026, Sorsby filed a lawsuit seeking an injunction against the athletic governing body—alleging the NCAA was slow-walking his case—to preserve his 2026 eligibility at Texas Tech, while also entering treatment for gambling addiction. The NCAA did not formally deny his reinstatement petition until over a week later, on May 26, 2026. For legal practitioners monitoring the rapidly expanding sports betting addiction landscape, this high-profile collegiate case underscores the severe regulatory and liability challenges confronting the industry as prohibited betting scandals continue to mount.