What’s New in Dangerous Product Lawsuits in September 2026

Major developments are rolling in for some of the biggest dangerous product litigations in the country.

From several key jury verdicts to major, litigation-altering settlements, here are key updates from the last month to stay in the know.

Second PowerPort Trial Ends in $40 Million Verdict

There was a major ruling this week that could affect thousands of lawsuits alleging certain chemo ports were defectively designed.

Bard was ordered to pay $40 million to a woman who said she required emergency surgery when the company’s PowerPort device fractured and lodged in her heart.
It’s a notable verdict after the first PowerPort trial, which involved a claim that the device caused an infection, ended in a win for Bard.

More bellwether trials for the PowerPort lawsuits are scheduled in 2026. The outcome of these trials could play a big role in influencing settlement talks for the more than 3,700 cases pending in federal court.

Mead Johnson Prevails in Baby Formula NEC Lawsuit

In an unfortunate development for plaintiffs, Mead Johnson won the first baby formula NEC trial in federal court.

Hundreds of baby formula lawsuits have been filed over claims that select cow’s milk formulas made by Abbott Laboratories and Mead Johnson may be connected to a devastating condition called necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) when fed to premature infants.

The Mead Johnson trial had been the first of these cases to successfully reach a jury at the federal level. That jury ended up siding with the company over a mother who said her child died after being fed formula and developing NEC.

These cases have seen some notable wins in state courts but have struggled in multidistrict litigation (MDL). Three previous trials involving Abbott had been lost on summary judgment, which is where the judge rules in the company’s favor ahead of trial, before Mead Johnson earned this month’s win.

But there was some positive baby formula news for plaintiffs last month, when Abbott announced that it had reached a $670 million settlement agreement to resolve a group of lawsuits involving 2,000 infants.

Meta Agrees to $18 Billion Settlement With U.S. States

Last month, Meta agreed to a settlement worth up to $18 billion to resolve litigation brought by a group of U.S. states. This major development could reshape the social media experience for teens.

The company, which owns Facebook and Instagram, was in the midst of battling claims that it violated consumer protection laws and designed its platforms to be addictive to children.

As part of the settlement, Meta agreed to make changes to its platforms to better protect young users. Expected changes include a daily time limit for teens, disabling of overnight notifications and the removal of like counts from teens’ posts.

While the settlement resolved claims brought by states, it is also a positive sign for the thousands of social media lawsuits brought by families claiming that popular social media platforms were built to intentionally addict users.

The first trial involving those claims was held earlier this year and ended with Google and Meta being ordered to pay $6 million to a woman who said she developed severe mental health issues after using social media from a young age.