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If you or a family member has a case involving Camp Lejeune, PFAS, NEC, or Depo-Provera, you've probably seen headlines about deadlines and settlements and wondered where your claim actually stands. In Part 2 of this conversation on Climate Change Environment Science & the Law with Gregg Goldfarb, host Gregg Goldfarb sits down again with Steven Smith, Vice President of Broughton Partners, to unpack four more mass tort campaigns that are all reaching critical moments.
Smith explains why Camp Lejeune finally has real momentum, now that a federal judge has given plaintiffs' leadership until the end of October to reach a deal with the DOJ or risk being replaced. He also clarifies why no new Camp Lejeune claims can be filed, since the window Congress opened has now closed. On PFAS, he walks through how firefighting foam (AFFF) seeps into soil and drinking water, why 131,000 cases were filed when only 60,000 to 70,000 were expected, and how an upcoming Daubert hearing on two additional injuries could shift negotiating leverage before a possible global resolution.
On NEC, Smith explains how two defendants agreed to pay just under $1 billion, why state court cases have succeeded where the federal MDL has not, and why the details of case values are still unknown. And on Depo-Provera, he breaks down the science linking the birth control shot to brain tumors called meningiomas, with more than a 5x increased risk, and shares his expectation of average case values between $150,000 and $200,000 for qualifying claims.
Throughout, Smith and Goldfarb stress that deadlines, qualifications, and venue all matter, and that claimants should talk to their own firm about where their specific case stands.
What You'll Learn
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Why a federal judge's October deadline could force a Camp Lejeune resolution
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Why new Camp Lejeune claims can no longer be filed
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How firefighting foam contaminates drinking water across the country
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Why 131,000 PFAS cases were filed, and how that number has been cleaned up
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What a Daubert hearing is, and how it could change PFAS negotiations
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How to find out if your water is contaminated with PFAS
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Why NEC cases in state court have outperformed the federal MDL
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What the science shows about Depo-Provera and brain tumors
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What Depo-Provera claimants might expect, and when
Time Stamps
0:00 - Intro
0:15 - Camp Lejune case updates
4:17 - PFAS Water Contamination Ligitagion
13:24 - NEC - Pre-Term Babies Settlement
14:23 - Depo-Provera Litigation and conclusion
Steven Smith is Vice President of Broughton Partners, a mass tort marketing and consulting firm, where he has spent nearly 20 years advising law firms and claimants across major litigations including Talc, Roundup, Hernia Mesh, Social Media, Camp Lejeune, PFAS, NEC, and Depo-Provera. Known industry-wide as "The Mass Tort Mentor," he works to help claimants get connected with qualified representation and to help law firms navigate complex, evolving litigation.
Contact / Follow Steven Smith:
Firm: https://www.broughtonpartners.com/
Phone: 954-224-1733
Email: steve@broughtonpartners.com
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