Weitz & Luxenberg attorney Brendan McDonough shared his knowledge on Philips Respironics CPAP and BiPAP recalls at two recent events: Mass Torts Made Perfect held in Las Vegas, Nevada and HarrisMartin’s Webinar Series: MDL Update on Philips CPAP, BiPAP & Ventilator Litigation held the next week.
With a degree in biomedical engineering, Mr. McDonough brings added insight and expertise to his panel discussions and presentations.
Mass Torts Made Perfect
This conference represented the first major, in-person gathering of plaintiff attorneys since Philips announced the recall of millions of CPAP, BiPAP, and mechanical ventilator devices on June 14, 2021. There was much discussion of this burgeoning litigation, including a Science and Case Criteria Panel co-chaired by Mr. McDonough, Troy Bouk of host firm Levin Papantonio Rafferty, and Syreeta Poindexter of Babin Law.
Panel Update on Philips Devices
In a Mass Torts Made Perfect breakout session on October 14, Mr. McDonough joined a panel of esteemed colleagues in providing an update on the topic Philips CPAP and Bilevel PAP Devices: In-Depth Litigation. The panel shared insight gained from the literature and consultations with experts. They discussed the current theories of liability and the injuries that could potentially be linked to the toxic and carcinogenic compounds released by the defective devices.
Mr. McDonough noted, “The company’s recall is largely unprecedented in its scale, including both the magnitude of devices affected and the variety of injuries that may be caused by the defect at issue. Because of this, law firms may be fielding hundreds or even thousands of potential inquiries each week.”
The panel stressed the importance of diligently examining each inquiry and exercising strategic caution when filing cases in the early stages. The members emphasized respiratory injury cases — including sarcoidosis, recurrent pneumonia, severe new or worsening asthma, and reactive airway disease — may constitute the strongest cases of liability currently from a scientific causation standpoint.
Webinar on Philips Litigation
At HarrisMartin’s Webinar Series on October 21, Mr. McDonough presented on the topic MDL Update on Philips CPAP, BiPAP & Ventilator Litigation. Specifically, he presented on the early defect and liability theories, and the toxicity of the compounds released by Philips sleep apnea machines.
This webinar provided updates to a national audience on numerous topics, including the recently created multidistrict litigation before the Honorable Joy Flowers Conti in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
“It is a privilege to be able to share what we’ve learned with our colleagues and help create a more informed and unified front in the fight against what will surely be a fierce defense by Philips,” states Mr. McDonough
Mr. McDonough is presenting again at HarrisMartin’s first live seminar on the Philips CPAP litigation, which is being held on December 14, 2021, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
About Brendan A. McDonough
Mr. McDonough officially joined Weitz & Luxenberg’s Drug and Medical Device litigation team as an associate attorney in 2017. However, he made his first appearance at the firm as a biomedical engineer and paralegal just after earning his B.S. degree from Cornell University’s College of Engineering in Ithaca, New York.
Mr. McDonough and his litigation team members are also representing our clients injured by other medical devices, including metal-on-metal and modular hip implants.
Photo published with permission of Mass Torts Made Perfect.
