Erin Copeland Appointed to Essure Executive Committee for Coordinated Proceeding in California
Houston, TX (PRWEB) January 11, 2017 -- Attorney Erin Copeland, a partner at the Houston-based law firm of Fibich, Leebron, Copeland, Briggs & Josephson, has been appointed by Judge Winifred Y. Smith of the Superior Court of California, County of Alameda, to the Executive Committee for the Essure litigation pending in Oakland, California. The 5-person court appointed Executive Committee will lead the pretrial proceedings on behalf of all plaintiffs in the California coordinated litigation styled Case No. JCCP 4887 Essure Product Cases.
Erin Copeland has been a trial lawyer with the Fibich, Leebron, Copeland, Briggs & Josephson law fim for over 16 years and her practice has been focused on representing individuals injured nationwide. In recent years, Erin’s practice has been centered on litigation involving women’s healthcare, including representing women who claim injuries as a result of pelvic mesh products and, now, Essure. She was previously appointed by the Honorable Joseph R. Goodwin of the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia to serve as a member of the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee (“PSC”) for the pelvic mesh multi-district litigation pending in the Southern District of West Virginia. She was also appointed by the Honorable David R. Herndon of the United States District Court for the Southern District to the PSC for the Pradaxa multi-district litigation pending in the Southern District of Illinois and the only female state-federal liaison counsel in that litigation.
The Essure litigation stems from complaints against Bayer, the current manufacturer of Essure, by women across the country who claim they were severely injured as a result of the permanent sterilization medical device. The injuries include, but are not limited to, severe and chronic pain, intractable bleeding, migration of the device from the fallopian tubes, perforation of organs, and ectopic pregnancies. The plaintiffs claim, among other things, that Bayer knew the Essure device caused these severe injuries and others yet failed to adequately warn about them.
Bayer denies any wrongdoing with regard to the Essure product. Nevertheless, following a September 2015 Advisory Committee Meeting, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) required Bayer to conduct a postmarket surveillance study to obtain data about Essure’s risks and benefits. It also required Bayer to put a black box warning, the strongest warning for a medical device, to better communicate to women the significant side effects or adverse outcomes associated with the device, including information about the need for removal, despite representations by the company that the device is intended to be permanent and not to be removed. The FDA is also now requiring a multi-page Decision Checklist with key items, including significant risks, about the device be reviewed and signed by the prospective patient.
Attorney Erin Copeland is one of five attorneys who have been appointed to the Essure Executive Committee, which also includes: Fidelma Fitzpatrick of Motley Rice; Kim Dougherty; M. Elizabeth Graham of Grant & Eisenhofer P.A.; Edward A. Wallace of Wexler Wallace LLP. Fidelma Fitzpatrick will chair the Executive Committee. M. Elizabeth Graham and William A. Kershaw of Kershaw, Cook & Talley will act as co-liaisons.
About the firm:
Fibich, Leebron, Copeland, Briggs & Josephson, was founded in 1992 and has since been dedicated to helping people seek equal justice under the law against corporations and other entities that have harmed them. Their offices are based in Houston, Texas and can be reached at 713-489-6566. You can also visit the firm at http://www.fibichlaw.com or connect via social media.
Erin Copeland, Fibich, Leebron, Copeland, Briggs & Josephson, http://www.fibichlaw.com/, +1 661-702-0100 Ext: 5496, [email protected]
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