Published November 4, 2026
Bard has won the third bellwether trial in the federal PowerPort litigation. A jury in Arizona federal court returned a defense verdict on October 30, according to Law.com and the Lawsuit Information Center. The plaintiff, a Florida woman, alleged that a catheter defect led to a bloodstream infection and sepsis. The public reports we reviewed do not explain how the jury reached its decision on each claim.
The three trials so far have produced mixed results for the thousands of people with pending claims:
Both infection cases have now gone largely or entirely Bard's way, while the only plaintiff win so far came in a fracture case. Bellwether results do not bind other claimants, and three trials is a small sample, but the outcomes can influence how each side values different types of claims. The Lawsuit Information Center reported no ruling on the Cook or Divelbliss new-trial motions as of November 3.
The fourth bellwether, Hicks, involves a Missouri woman and a thrombosis claim, a different injury type than the first three trials tested. U.S. District Judge David Campbell denied Bard's motion for summary judgment on October 26, and the case is set for trial on December 1 in Phoenix. MassArbitration reports that the design defect and failure-to-warn claims will go to the jury.
The November 2 report from the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation lists 4,345 pending actions in MDL 3081, up from 4,140 in October, according to the Lawsuit Information Center.
If you or a loved one had a Bard implanted port that fractured, migrated, or led to an infection or blood clot, see Atumio's Bard PowerPort case page for a free eligibility review, or start your case review directly.