Kevin M. Hart

Kevin M. Hart is the Chairman and Senior Litigation Counsel of the Stark & Stark Mass Tort Litigation Group. Mr. Hart has over 30 years of experience as a trial attorney stemming from his work as a Deputy Attorney General with the State of New Jersey, Division of Criminal Justice, to his development and management of several practice groups at Stark & Stark. Currently, Mr. Hart is Co-lead Trial Counsel representing numerous plaintiffs in the mass tort environmental contamination case of In Re Bristol-Myers Squibb Environmental Contamination Litigation. Mr. Hart has been certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Certified Civil Trial Attorney since 1994.

Posts by Kevin M. Hart

Pennsylvania Follows Federal Judge and Sends Yaz cases to Mediation

By Kevin M. Hart on Posted in Defective Drugs, Yaz® Yasmin® and Ocella®

On January 6, 2012, Judge Moss, who is overseeing the state Yaz cases in Philadelphia, followed in Judge Herndon’s footsteps and ordered the parties into mediation.  Like Judge Herndon, who is overseeing the federal Yaz cases, Judge Moss also appointed Professor Stephen Saltzburg of George Washington School of Law as Special Master, for the purposes… Continue Reading

Still Waiting on MDL Decision in Actos Litigation

By Kevin M. Hart on Posted in Actos®, Defective Drugs

The United States Judicial Panel on Multi-District Litigation (JPML) met on Thursday, December 1, 2011, in Savannah, Georgia, to hear arguments regarding whether all federal Actos cases should be consolidated into multi-district (MDL). Recent studies allegedly show that diabetics taking Actos may be at an increased risk of developing bladder cancer. The JPML has yet… Continue Reading

Timeline of Crestor’s Potential Dangers to Consumers

By Kevin M. Hart on Posted in Crestor®, Defective Drugs

Crestor, manufactured by AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, was approved by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in August 2003. Marketed as a “super-statin,” Crestor was alleged to lower LDL cholesterol more than other statin drugs. Statins differ in the way they are broken down or expelled by the body. Whereas most statins are metabolized through the liver… Continue Reading

First Trials in Nuvaring Litigation Expected in 2012

By Kevin M. Hart on Posted in Medical Devices, NuvaRing®

As we have previously reported, Nuvaring, manufactured by Organon USA, was initially marketed in the United States in July 2002, after receiving FDA approval in late 2001. However, studies have shown that the ingredients contained in the birth control product NuvaRing may be linked to various forms of severe side-effects such as: heart attack, stroke,… Continue Reading

DePuy ASR Joint Management Conference Conducted in Bergen County, New Jersey

By Kevin M. Hart on Posted in DePuy ASR®, Medical Devices

On June 1, 2011, Judge Martinotti hosted a joint MDL/State Case Management Conference in Bergen County, New Jersey, along with the Honorable David A. Katz, U.S.D.J., who is presiding over the federal cases in the MDL in Ohio. As previously discussed, centralizing the state and federal cases will streamline the lawsuits, allowing the parties to avoid duplicative discovery and inconsistent rulings from different judges.

DePuy ASR New Jersey State Cases Centralized in Bergen County

By Kevin M. Hart on Posted in DePuy ASR®, Medical Devices

As we previously discussed, on December 9, 2010, a Notice to the Bar was issued by Judge Glenn A. Grant, Acting Administrator of the Courts, advising that an application had been made, pursuant to Directive #7-09, “Revised Mass Tort Guidelines,” requesting designation of all New Jersey state-court litigation involving DePuy ASR™ hip implants as a mass tort and assignment for centralized management in Middlesex County. The federal cases have already been consolidated in the Northern District Court of Ohio.

Still Waiting on MDL Decision in Darvocet Cases

By Kevin M. Hart on Posted in Darvocet® and Darvon®, Defective Drugs

As we have previously reported, in November, 2010, the FDA finally announced that it was pulling off the U.S. market the prescription painkillers, Darvon and Darvocet, which combines Darvon with the aspirin substitute acetaminophen, because of scientific evidence the drugs can damage the heart, even at recommended doses, or cause fatal cardiac abnormalities. Studies have shown that the ingredients contained in Darvocet and Darvon have been linked to various forms of severe side-effects. Reportedly, these side-effects include: heart arrhythmia, heart attack, suicide, overdose and even death.

Mass Tort Application in DePuy Orthopedic, Inc. Hip Recall Lawsuits

By Kevin M. Hart on Posted in DePuy ASR®, Medical Devices

On December 9, 2010, a Notice to the Bar was issued by Judge Glenn A. Grant, Acting Administrator of the Courts, advising that an application had been made, pursuant to Directive #7-09, “Revised Mass Tort Guidelines,” requesting designation of all New Jersey state-court litigation involving DePuy ASR™ hip implants as a mass tort and assignment for centralized management in Middlesex County.

New Jersey State Supreme Court Grants Mass Tort Designation to YAZ®, Yasmin® and Ocella® Cases

By Kevin M. Hart on Posted in Defective Drugs, Yaz® Yasmin® and Ocella®

As we have discussed in previous posts, studies have shown that the ingredients contained in the birth control products YAZ®, Yasmin® and Ocella® have been linked to various forms of severe side-effects. Reportedly, these side-effects include: heart attack, stroke, deep vein thrombosis (also known as DVT or blood clots), internal organ damage (including gallbladder damage), myocardial infarction and pulmonary embolism.

YAZ®, Yasmin® and Ocella® Cases Transfered to MDL in the United States Distric Court

By Kevin M. Hart on Posted in Defective Drugs, Yaz® Yasmin® and Ocella®

Since the beginning of October 2009, over 350 YAZ®, Yasmin® and Ocella® cases from various jurisdictions throughout the country have been transferred to the MDL in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois. On November 9, 2009, motions were filed to appoint Plaintiffs’ lead counsel and a Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee. The Court will hold a conference in the coming weeks to address the newly transferred cases and pending motions.

Defendants in NuvaRing® Litigation Files Motion For Entry of Lone Pine Case Management Order

By Kevin M. Hart on Posted in Medical Devices, NuvaRing®

NuvaRing®, the combined contraceptive vaginal ring that is supposed to provide month-long birth control, is currently involved in a Multi-District Litigation (“MDL”) in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. Plaintiffs have advanced claims that NuvaRing® is responsible for injuries in some individuals.

NuvaRing® Plaintiffs File Master Consolidated Complaint

By Kevin M. Hart on Posted in Medical Devices, NuvaRing®

NuvaRing®, the once-a-month combined contraceptive vaginal ring which is supposed to provide month-long birth control, is currently involved in a Multi-District Litigation (“MDL”) in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri based on claims that NuvaRing® is responsible for injuries in some individuals.

Update on NuvaRing® Litigation Status

By Kevin M. Hart on Posted in Medical Devices, NuvaRing®

NuvaRing® is marketed as a once-a-month, combined contraceptive vaginal ring that provides month-long birth control. It is sold in the United States by Organon USA Inc., a New Jersey corporation with its principal place of business in Roseland, New Jersey, and Organon International, Inc., headquartered in the Netherlands

FDA Issues Hydroxycut® Warning, Makers Issue Voluntary Recall

By Kevin M. Hart on Posted in Defective Drugs

Hydroxycut®, the group of dietary supplements which claim to be fitness and weight loss aids, have recently been linked to severe, and sometimes life threatening injuries. Recent reports state that these injuries include damage to the liver, kidneys and other internal organs, rhabdomyolysis (severe muscle damage), cardiovascular disorders and even death.