For thousands of cancer patients across the country, the Bard PowerPort was meant to make treatment easier. Instead, many have found themselves facing serious and sometimes life-threatening complications they never anticipated. More than 3,000 product liability lawsuits have now been filed against the device’s manufacturer, alleging that the Bard PowerPort is defectively designed and has caused dangerous and preventable harm to vulnerable patients who were already fighting for their health.
If you or a loved one received a Bard PowerPort device and experienced complications, understanding your legal rights has never been more important.
What Is the Bard PowerPort?
The Bard PowerPort is an implantable vascular access device designed to provide long-term access to the bloodstream for the delivery of chemotherapy, IV fluids, medications, and blood products. It is surgically placed beneath the skin and is intended to remain in the body throughout the course of a patient’s treatment, sparing patients the repeated needle sticks that would otherwise be required.
The device consists of two primary components: an injection port and a flexible polyurethane catheter. When treatment is administered, a needle is inserted into the raised center of the injection port, and fluids travel through the catheter tubing directly into the patient’s bloodstream. It is a device that cancer patients depend on, often during the most difficult period of their lives.
What Are Patients Alleging?
At the heart of these lawsuits is a serious concern about the catheter component of the device. Plaintiffs allege that the polyurethane catheter, which contains barium sulfate, is prone to cracking, fracturing, and migrating within the body. When this occurs, the consequences can be severe.
Reported injuries associated with the Bard PowerPort include serious infections and sepsis, pulmonary embolism, cardiac arrhythmias, perforation of organs or blood vessels, and in some cases, death. Many patients have required additional surgeries to remove fractured catheter components or to address complications caused by the device’s failure. One study cited in the litigation reported an overall complication rate of 59%, a figure that has drawn significant attention as these cases have progressed toward trial.
Where Do the Lawsuits Stand?
The Bard PowerPort cases have been consolidated into a federal multidistrict litigation, known as MDL No. 3081, pending before Judge David G. Campbell in Arizona. Multidistrict litigation is a procedural mechanism used when a large number of cases involving common questions of fact are filed in courts across the country. Consolidating them before a single judge allows for more efficient pretrial proceedings and helps ensure consistency in how key legal and factual issues are resolved.
The first of six bellwether trials has already begun. Additional trials are scheduled through August, October, and December of 2026, as well as February of 2027. Bellwether trials are test cases selected from a larger pool of similar claims to go to trial first. Their verdicts do not automatically determine the outcome of other cases, but they carry significant practical weight. A string of plaintiff victories increases pressure on the defendant to negotiate meaningful settlements, while defense wins can shift the dynamic in the other direction. In either scenario, bellwether trials give both sides a clearer picture of how juries are likely to respond to the evidence, and they frequently serve as the catalyst that moves large-scale litigation toward resolution.
A central issue emerging in the trial is whether a safer alternative catheter design, known as the Avertex design, was available and feasible for the manufacturer to have produced. If plaintiffs are able to persuade the jury on that point, it significantly strengthens the liability argument. The defense is expected to vigorously challenge that claim. The jury will first consider liability and compensatory damages, with punitive damages only coming into play if plaintiffs prevail on the liability question.
What Compensation Are Plaintiffs Seeking?
Individuals who have been harmed by a Bard PowerPort device are pursuing compensation for medical expenses related to their complications and any additional surgeries required, lost wages and diminished earning capacity, and physical pain, emotional suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life. In cases involving wrongful death, surviving family members may also have the right to pursue claims on behalf of their loved ones.
Is There Still Time to File a Claim?
There is still time to participate in the Bard PowerPort MDL, but time is a critical factor. Legal claims of this nature are subject to statutes of limitations, meaning there are strict deadlines by which a claim must be filed. Waiting too long can permanently forfeit your right to seek compensation, regardless of how serious your injuries may be.
If you or a loved one received a Bard PowerPort device and experienced complications including infections, catheter fracture, migration, pulmonary embolism, or any other serious medical event, we strongly encourage you to speak with an attorney as soon as possible.
Contact Our New York Personal Injury Attorneys Today
At Lacy Katzen LLP, we understand that pursuing legal action against a major medical device manufacturer can feel overwhelming, particularly when you or your loved one is already coping with a serious illness. Our attorneys are here to help so that you can focus on what matters most.
For over 75 years, Lacy Katzen has been fighting for individuals and families harmed by the negligence of others. Contact our office today for a free, confidential consultation.
