In Re Rely Tampon Products Liability Litigation

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In Re RELY TAMPON PRODUCTS LIABILITY LITIGATION

ORDER DENYING TRANSFER PER CURIAM. Presently before the Panel are two motions, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1407, filed by two groups of plaintiffs in actions in this docket, to centralize in a single district for coordinated or consolidated pretrial proceedings the 92 actions 1 listed on the attached Schedule A. *1347 On the basis of the papers filed and the hearing held, we find that Section 1407 transfer would neither serve the convenience of the parties and witnesses nor further the just and efficient conduct of the litigation. Although we recognize that the actions in this litigation involve some common questions of fact, we are not persuaded that these common questions of fact will predominate over individual questions of fact present in each action. Furthermore, we note that 1) discovery in many actions in this docket is well advanced; and 2) pretrial proceedings have been completed and trial is imminent in at least two actions. Under these circumstances, we cannot conclude that centralization of the actions in this litigation under Section 1407 will further the purposes of the statute. See In re Asbestos and Asbestos Insulation Material Products Liability Litigation, 431 F.Supp. 906, 910 (J.P.M.L.1977). IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that the motions for transfer pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1407 be, and the same hereby are, DENIED. SCHEDULE A Northern District of Alabama Deborah Louise Parker v. Proctor & Gamble, et al., C.A. No. CV-80-HM-1585-S Theresa J. Boney v. Proctor & Gamble, et al., C.A. No. CV-81-C-1062-S Eastern District of Arkansas Mike Ford, etc. v. Proctor & Gamble Co., C.A. No. LR-C-81-493 Northern District of California Carol A. Thompson, et al. v. The Proctor & Gamble Co., et al., C.A. No. C-80-3711SAW District of Colorado Deletha Dawn Lampshire, et al. v. The Proctor & Gamble Co., et al., C.A. No. 80-1567 District of Connecticut Paula Doucette v. The Proctor & Gamble Co., C.A. No. H-81-406 Middle District of Florida Paula Beaudoin, et al. v. The Proctor & Gamble Distributing Co., et al., C.A. No. 80- 575-ORL-CIV-Y Shannon M. Keeney, et a1. v. The Proctor Distributing Co., C.A. No. 80-597-ORL-CIV-Y Tammy Carr v. International Playtex Inc., et al., C.A. No. 80-611-ORL-CIV-R Sandra J. Nester, et al. v. The Proctor & Gamble Distributing Co., C.A. No. 81-160-CIV-T—H Northern District of Georgia Robert A. Ellis, et al. v. The Proctor & Gamble Manufacturing Co., C.A. No. C81-794-A Southern District of Illinois Charles File, Adm. v. The Proctor & Gamble Manufacturing Co., C.A. No. 81-3213 Central District of Illinois George Thomas Dorris, etc., et al. v. The Proctor & Gamble Co., et al., C.A. No. 81- 2180 Northern District of Iowa Michael L. Kehm, Adm. v. The Proctor & Gamble Manufacturing Co., et al., C.A. No. C80-119 Nancy C. Vohs v. Proctor & Gamble Manufacturing Co., et al., C.A. No. C81-4069 District of Kansas Kathleen E. McLaughlin v. The Proctor & Gamble Distributing Co., et al., C.A. No. 80-4265 Vickie G. Helton v. The Proctor & Gamble Paper Products Co., et al., C.A. No. 81-1116 *1348 Barbara J. Ivey v. The Proctor & Gamble Paper Products Co., et al., C.A. No. 81— 1037 Judy M. Mitchell v. The Proctor & Gamble Paper Products Co., et al., C.A. No. 81— 1038 Gloria L. DeRoulet v. The Proctor & Gamble Paper Products Co., et al., C.A. No. 81-1039 Cynthia Sue Souter v. The Proctor & Gamble Paper Products Co., et al., C.A. No. 81-1118 Anne E. Somer v. The Proctor & Gamble Paper Products Co., et al., C.A. No. 81-1185 Cynthia A. Butler v. The Proctor & Gamble Distributing Co., et al., C.A. No. 81-1184 Carolyn K. McKinsey v. The Proctor & Gamble Manufacturing Co., et al., C.A. No. 81-4123 Janet L. Matney v. Proctor & Gamble Distributing Co., et al., C.A. No. 81-1263 Sarah P. Hughes v. The Proctor & Gamble Paper Products Co., et al., C.A. No. 81-1359 Dana L. Lewis v. The Proctor & Gamble Paper Products Co., et al., C.A. No. 81— 1357 Deborah L. Tilghman v. The Proctor & Gamble Paper Products Co., et al., C.A. No. 81-1358 Western District of Kentucky Brenda Coreau v. The Proctor & Gamble Manufacturing Co., C.A. No. C81-0072P(J) Karen McGregor v. The Proctor & Gamble Manufacturing Co., C.A. No. 81-0076-P(J) Eastern District of Louisiana Cathy Baudry v. Proctor & Gamble Manufacturing Co., et al., C.A. No. 81-1827 Peggy Burns v. The Proctor & Gamble Manufacturing Co., et al., C.A. No. 81-1863 Herman J. Byrnes, etc. v. The Proctor & Gamble Distributing Co., et al., C.A. No. 81-2413 Eastern District of Michigan Carol Anne Keene v. The Proctor & Gamble Co., et al., C.A. No. 81-10060-NI Western District of Missouri Larry D. Clark v. The Proctor & Gamble Manufacturing Co., et al., C.A. No. 80-0952-CV-W-5 Mary Christine Cervantes v. The Proctor & Gamble Co., et al., C.A. No. 81-0488-CV-W—5 Athalee Kay Manley v. The Proctor & Gamble Manufacturing Co., et al., C.A. No. 80-0907-CV-W-5 Sharon Davis v. The Proctor & Gamble Co., et al., C.A. No. 81-0314-CV-W-5 Debra Ann Bailey, et al. v. The Proctor & Gamble Manufacturing Co., et al., C.A. No. 80-0910-CV-W-5 Sherrie D. Biggs v. The Proctor & Gamble Manufacturing Co., et al., C.A. No. 81— 0047-W — 5 Shawn L. Roberts v. Proctor & Gamble Manufacturing Co., et al., C.A. No. 81— 0036-CV — W—5 Mary C. Parker v. The Proctor & Gamble Co., et al., C.A. No. 81-0238-CV-W-5 Arsenius Wasinger, et al. v. The Proctor & Gamble Co., et al., C.A. No. 81-04140-CV-W-5 Perry Lane Ruckman v. The Proctor & Gamble Co., et al., C.A. No. 81-5062-CV-W — 5 Eastern District of Missouri Karen K. Lanpher, et al. v. The Proctor & Gamble Paper Products Co., C.A. No. S81-0025C District of Montana Ruth E. Pilgrim v. Proctor & Gamble, Inc., C.A. No. CV81-18-BU District of New Hampshire Mary Ellen Brady, et al. v. Proctor & Gamble Co., C.A. No. 80-494 — L Western District of New York Thomas H. Anderhault, et al. v. The Proctor & Gamble Co., C.A. No. CIV-80-996C *1349 Philip J. Maciuska, et al. v. The Proctor & Gamble Co., C.A. No. CIV-81-34-C Southern District of New York Jacqueline Lieber, et al. v. The Proctor & Gamble Distributing Co., C.A. No. 81-CIV-3708 Northern District of Oklahoma Joanne E. Watt, et al. v. Proctor & Gamble Co., C.A. No. 81-C-111-B Western District of Oklahoma Cynthia Cantrell v. The Proctor & Gamble Distributing Co., C.A. No. CIV-81-985 Kristine M. Moen v. Proctor & Gamble Distributing Co., C.A. No. CIV-81 — 791T Eastern District of Pennsylvania Mary Beth Ralston v. The Proctor & Gamble Co., C.A. No. 80-4109 Sheila A. Serianni, et al. v. The Proctor & Gamble Co., et al., C.A. No. 80-4652 Marilyn Douglas, et al. v. The Proctor & Gamble Co., C.A. No. 81-2425 Anita Peters v. The Proctor & Gamble Co., C.A. No. 81-2427 District of South Carolina Sidney M. Thompson, etc. v. Proctor & Gamble, Inc., et al., C.A. No. 81-71-0 Alice K. Curbeam v. Proctor & Gamble, C.A. No. 80-1916-9 Western District of Tennessee Kathy Blount Woods, et al. v. Proctor & Gamble Manufacturing Corp., et al., C.A. No. 80-1128 John M. Rose, etc. v. Proctor & Gamble Manufacturing Co., et al., C.A. No. 81-1008 Teresa Jones, et al. v. Proctor & Gamble Manufacturing Corp., C.A. No. 81-1024 Patricia Addington Castleman v. Proctor & Gamble Manufacturing Co., et al., C.A. No. 81-2216 Middle District of Tennessee Diane Carpenter, et al. v. Proctor & Gamble Paper Products Co., et al., C.A. No. 81-3479 Jan Bown Meadows, et al. v. Proctor & Gamble Paper Products Co., et al., C.A. No. 81-3478 Avonda L. Lamb, et al. v. Proctor & Gamble Paper Products Co., et al., C.A. No. 81— 3480 Betty Jean Grimes v. Proctor & Gamble Paper Products Co., et al., C.A. No. 81— 2021 Eastern District of Texas Jeanne Spaulding v. Proctor & Gamble Distributing Co., C.A. No. B-80-778-CA District of Utah Richard J. Fors, et al. v. Proctor & Gamble Co., C.A. No. C-80-539-J Robin Murdock v. Proctor & Gamble Co., C.A. No. C-80-0587-J Sandra Bryant v. Proctor & Gamble Co., C.A. No. C-80-0597-W Linda Joyce Muir v. Proctor & Gamble Co., C.A. No. C-81-0207-J Cindy Malmstrom v. Proctor & Gamble Co., C.A. No. C-81-0461-C Mary Jane Ogle v. Proctor & Gamble Co., C.A. No. C-81-0546 — W Holly E. Staples v. The Proctor & Gamble Co., C.A. No. C-81-0041-W Debbie L. Crozier v. Proctor & Gamble, C.A. No. C-81-0011-W Eastern District of Washington Monica Fabio, et al. v. Proctor & Gamble, Inc., C.A. No. C-80-383-RJM Sandi D. Neddo v. Proctor & Gamble, Inc., C.A. No. C-80-415-RJM Deborah L. Hancock v. Proctor & Gamble Co., C.A. No. C-80-440-RJM Catherine L. Kujawski v. Proctor & Gamble, Inc., et al., C.A. No. C-81-003-JLQ Southern District of West Virginia Theresa Kathleen Jarrett, et al. v. The Proctor & Gamble Co., C.A. No. CA-80-2453 *1350 Eastern District of Wisconsin Susan J. Voss, et al. v. Proctor & Gamble Co., et al, C.A. No. 80-C-924 Susan M. Menard, et al. v. Proctor & Gamble Co., et al., C.A. No. 80-C-948 Joyce E. Jaraczewski, et al. v. Proctor & Gamble Co., C.A. No. 81-C-407 Susan Jo White v. Proctor & Gamble Co., C.A. No. 81-C-948 Western District of Wisconsin Lynnette Richards v. Proctor & Gamble Co., C.A. No. 80-C-596 Southern District of Florida Vicki Alley v. The Proctor & Gamble Co., C.A. No. 81-8398-CIV-JAG District of Montana Karla K. Easton, et al. v. The Proctor & Gamble Co., et al., C.A. No. CV-81-123-M District of New Jersey Stacy E. Wolf, et al. v. The Proctor & Gamble Co., C.A. No. 82-130 Eastern District of Pennsylvania Marilyn Hilliard v. The Proctor & Gamble Co., C.A. No. 81-3843 District of South Dakota Michelle Cramton, etc. v. The Proctor & Gamble Co., C.A. No. 81-4200 Eastern District of Wisconsin Teresa Campshure v. The Proctor & Gamble Co., C.A. No. 81-C-1060 Footnotes [1] The motions before the Panel included 106 actions. The schedules of actions attached to the two motions, however, include thirteen actions that have been dismissed and one action *1347 that was never pending in federal court. Accordingly, the two motions taken together encompass a total of 92 actions presently pending in federal district courts.