Active lawsuitDefective medical devicesMDL No. 3081 and No. 3125
Implanted port catheter lawsuits
An implanted port is a small device placed under the skin, usually in the chest or arm, with a thin tube (catheter) that runs into a vein. Ports are often used for chemotherapy, infusions and frequent blood draws. Lawsuits pending in two federal courts allege that the catheters in certain Bard and AngioDynamics ports were made with a material mix that weakens over time, leading to infection, fracture, migration and blood clots. Our legal team reviews these cases. If you had one of these ports and suffered one of these complications, you can ask for a free case evaluation.
the surgery report names the device
This page summarizes what pending lawsuits allege, based on court records and official sources. Allegations in a lawsuit are not findings by a court. It's general information, not legal advice about your situation. Last reviewed October 12, 2026.
On this page
At a glance
Implanted Port Catheter Lawsuits (Bard and AngioDynamics)
- Bard ports
- In re: Bard Implanted Port Catheter Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 3081; U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona; Judge David G. Campbell; centralized August 8, 2023
- AngioDynamics ports
- In re: AngioDynamics, Inc., and Navilyst Medical, Inc., Port Catheter Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 3125; U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California; Judge Jinsook Ohta; centralized October 3, 2024
- Companies named
- Becton, Dickinson and Company, C.R. Bard, Inc. and Bard Access Systems, Inc. (MDL No. 3081); AngioDynamics, Inc., Navilyst Medical, Inc. and PFM Medical, Inc. (MDL No. 3125)
What the lawsuits allege
- Too much barium sulfate. Plaintiffs allege the makers made the catheter part of their ports with a concentration of barium sulfate that is too high, which reduces the catheter's material integrity. In the AngioDynamics cases, plaintiffs allege the material degrades and the catheter surface pits or cracks.
- Injuries. The lawsuits allege this can lead to infection, fracture of the catheter, migration of the catheter, perforation and thrombosis (blood clots).
- Testing and reporting. The cases raise whether the makers adequately tested the devices, warned about the risks, and monitored and reported problems.
An MDL means many people have filed similar lawsuits. It does not mean any court has decided that these devices caused anyone's injury.
Who may be eligible
You may be eligible for a free case evaluation if you had a Bard or AngioDynamics implanted port catheter and were diagnosed with an infection, a blood clot, or a catheter that fractured, migrated or caused a perforation.
Our attorneys look at
- The brand and model of your port, if you know it, and when it was implanted
- What went wrong, and when
- The treatment you needed, such as antibiotics, a hospital stay, or surgery to remove or replace the port
What to gather for your free evaluation
You don't need everything on this list to ask for an evaluation. Gather what you can.
- Your device identification card or any paperwork from the implant procedure
- The operative report from the implant, and from any removal or replacement
- Records of the infection, blood clot, fracture or migration, including imaging reports
- Hospital and emergency room records
- The names of the doctors and the facility that placed and removed the port
- A short timeline of your symptoms and treatment
If a port is removed in the future, you can ask the hospital in writing whether it can be kept.
Where the litigation stands
As of October 2026
- LitigationMDL No. 3081 (Bard) and MDL No. 3125 (AngioDynamics and Navilyst)
- CourtMDL No. 3081: U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona. MDL No. 3125: U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California.
- JudgeMDL No. 3081: Judge David G. Campbell. MDL No. 3125: Judge Jinsook Ohta.
- CreatedMDL No. 3081: August 8, 2023. MDL No. 3125: October 3, 2024.
As of October 2026, lawsuits allege that the catheter component of certain implanted ports was made with too high a concentration of barium sulfate, which weakens the catheter and can lead to infection, fracture, migration, perforation and blood clots. The Bard cases are pending before Judge David G. Campbell in the District of Arizona. His Case Management Order No. 42, entered December 5, 2025, scheduled bellwether (test) trials of individual cases from April 2026 through February 2027. The AngioDynamics and Navilyst cases are pending before Judge Jinsook Ohta in the Southern District of California. A result in one bellwether trial does not decide anyone else's case.
What regulators have said
We did not identify an FDA safety communication specific to these allegations as of October 12, 2026. Problems with medical devices can be reported to the FDA through MedWatch.
Status checked October 12, 2026. Both MDLs are listed as pending on the JPML report of pending MDLs dated October 1, 2026 (opens in a new tab). Court dockets change; each page shows the date it was last checked.
Questions
I don't know what brand of port I had. Can I still ask?
Yes. Many people don't know. The hospital's operative report or your device card usually names the maker and model, and our legal team can help you figure out which records to request.
My port still works. Should I have it removed?
That's a medical decision for you and your doctor. Don't change your care because of a lawsuit.
What is a bellwether trial?
In a large MDL, the judge may schedule trials of a few individual cases to test how the evidence holds up. Those verdicts apply only to the people in those cases.
Is there a deadline?
Yes. Each state sets its own filing deadline, called a statute of limitations, and an MDL does not pause it. The deadline that applies depends on your state and when the problem was discovered, so it's best to ask early.
Official sources
Each link opens the original record in a new tab.
- Judicial Panel on Multidistrict LitigationJPML Transfer Order, MDL No. 3081 (filed Aug. 8, 2023)jpml.uscourts.gov (opens in a new tab)
- U.S. District Court, District of ArizonaD. Ariz.: Case Management Order No. 42, MDL No. 3081 (filed Dec. 5, 2025)azd.uscourts.gov (opens in a new tab)
- Judicial Panel on Multidistrict LitigationJPML Transfer Order, MDL No. 3125 (filed Oct. 3, 2024)jpml.uscourts.gov (opens in a new tab)
- U.S. Food and Drug AdministrationFDA MedWatch: report a problem with a medical devicefda.gov (opens in a new tab)
Had a Bard or AngioDynamics port and a serious complication?
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A free case evaluation does not create an attorney-client relationship, does not file a claim and does not pause any deadline. We represent a client only after we both sign a written agreement.
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