Depo-Provera Use and Brain Tumor Development

Depo-Provera (aka the “Shot”) is an injectable birth control that has been on the market for decades to prevent pregnancy. Depo-Provera was largely marketed to young women of color because of the convenience of quarterly injections versus a daily pill. Recently, two epidemiological case-control studies found a statistically significant association between Depo-Provera use and the development of a specific type of brain tumor called intracranial meningioma. Although these tumors are usually noncancerous, they require surgical intervention if possible and can cause life-long debilitating injuries, including memory issues, eyesight issues, paralyze, seizures, speech problems, severe headaches/migraines, and dizziness that affect daily life (e.g., job loss, inability to drive, inability to care for family, etc.). 

Litigation against the manufacturers of Depo-Provera is now currently pending in United States District Court of the Northern District of Florida in front of Judge M. Casey Rodgers. Lieff Cabraser represent clients who have experienced cerebral meningiomas, specifically tumors, related to Depo-Provera. For more information about these lawsuits, please visit https://www.lieffcabraser.com/injury/drugs/depoprovera/

Talcum Powder Litigation

For decades Johnson & Johnson (“J&J”) marketed talcum powder to women and girls, especially women and girls of color, on the promise it would improve personal hygiene and absorb moisture. Tens of thousands of lawsuits have been filed by women alleging J&J’s baby powder and Shower to Shower products caused their epithelial ovarian cancer. As alleged in the lawsuits, the ovarian cancer risks were concealed from consumers, and this “failure to warn” has led to injuries and deaths from talc exposure. Lieff Cabraser represents women who suffered ovarian cancer after use of this product. 

J&J has filed three bankruptcies to seek protection from being held accountable for the serious injuries and death talcum powder users.  In its third bankruptcy, J&J seeks to reach a settlement that would resolve the lawsuits pending against it.  The outcome is not yet known and the bankruptcy court will hear argument this month on the adequacy of the proposed settlement. 

In separate litigation, in June 2024, J&J reached a $700 million settlement with 42 states and Washington DC, resolving claims that J&J violated consumer protection laws by misrepresenting the safety of its talc-based products. The settlement, still awaiting court approval, prevents J&J from resuming the manufacture, marketing, promotion, sale, and distribution of talc-based products. J&J stopped selling these products in North America in 2020.

For more information, please visit: https://www.lieffcabraser.com/injury/drugs/talcum-powder-ovarian-cancer/ 

Social Media Harms to Children and Teens 

Social media use has been associated to the youth mental health crisis in America. Social media use, however, may differ by race, ethnicity, and gender.  A study by Pew found that social media can disproportionality impact the mental well-being of Black and Hispanic teenagers. If you are concerned about the impact of social media on your child’s self-esteem and mental health, please consult the Surgeon General’s advisory at https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/sg-youth-mental-health-social-media-advisory.pdf. On June 17, 2024 in an op-ed in the NY Times, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy called on Congress to put warning labels on social media platforms for the dangers it poses to children’s mental health.

Lieff Cabraser represents many families and school districts impacted by harms caused by kids using social media, and has filed lawsuits against the major social media companies, including Meta, TikTok, SnapChat, and YouTube (“Social Media Companies”). To date, Lieff Cabraser and their co-counsel have successfully defeated the Social Media Companies’ attempts to get the cases thrown out of court. Discovery into what Defendants’ knew and when they knew it is well underway and the courts have entered schedules that conclude evidence discovery in the spring of this year. Late this spring and into the summer, the plaintiffs will present the reports of experts in a wide range of social science and medical fields to support the claims that social media use is a substantial factor in the youth mental health crisis.  The first trial in the state court is expected in November 2025 and, in the near future, it is anticipated that the federal court will schedule the date for when the first trials commence there.

For more information about lawsuits against the social media companies for harms caused to youth, please visit https://www.lieffcabraser.com/injury/social-media-addictions/

Jackson, Mississippi and Benton Harbor, Michigan Lead Water Crisis Cases

Lead is a toxic metal that causes severe health consequences, especially in children. There is no safe level of exposure to lead. On October 8, 2024, the Biden-Harris Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a final rule requiring drinking water systems nationwide to replace lead pipes within 10 years and investing an additional $2.6 billion for drinking water upgrades and lead pipe replacements.  

Lieff Cabraser and co-counsel have filed proposed class action lawsuits on behalf of residents of Jackson, Mississippi (one case) and Benton Harbor, Michigan (three cases) alleging residents have consumed lead-contaminated water in their public water supply through the actions and failures of their elected officials and private companies. 

In Benton Harbor, Michigan, on May 8, 2024 Lieff Cabraser attorneys for the Plaintiffs in the first of three cases asked the federal appeals court to support the trial court’s ruling allowing the case to proceed against the City of Benton Harbor and its officials. On August 28, the appeals court allowed Plaintiffs’ claims against Benton Harbor’s Water Plant Operator Mike O’Malley to proceed, but determined that the claims against the City and mayor could not move forward. The appeals court denied O’Malley’s petition to reconsider its decision. Discovery is proceeding before the district court.

In the second case before the Michigan Court of Claims, on May 23, 2024, Plaintiffs successfully won a request for the Court to order Defendants to produce more than 90,000 documents that will help Plaintiffs prove their case. The case is now stayed while the Parties await the Michigan Court of Appeals’ decision on whether the State is immune from prosecution. In the third case in Michigan state court filed against the private engineering companies and City Defendants, the case is temporarily stopped while one of the City Defendants appeals the court’s ruling that Plaintiffs’ claims against him may go forward. In September 2024, the court held that Plaintiffs’ claims for unjust enrichment may proceed against the City. This case is also stayed until the court of appeals rules on Defendants’ pending appeals.

In the case pending in Jackson, on February 5, 2024, the federal court judge dismissed plaintiffs’ constitutional claims against the individual City of Jackson officials and on June 11, 2024, dismissed plaintiffs’ constitutional claims against the City of Jackson. Plaintiffs have appealed this decision to the appellate court, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. As of December 13, 2025, the appeal is fully briefed and oral argument will be held before the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals on April 2, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

To learn more, please visit: Benton Harbor: https://www.lieffcabraser.com/environment/benton-harbor-water-poisoning/ and Jackson: https://www.lieffcabraser.com/environment/jackson-mississippi.