Plaintiffs Seek Pretrial Coordination of California Essure Actions in Alameda County

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The plaintiffs in 48 Essure permanent birth control actions pending in five California state courts have moved for pretrial coordination of the cases, arguing that they are “complex” and share common questions of fact and law.

In an Aug. 5 motion filed before the California Judicial Council, the plaintiffs asked that coordination take place in the Alameda County Superior Court under the supervision of Judge Winifred Smith, noting that half of the cases are already pending in that court before Judge Smith and are the most procedurally advanced.

The actions allege that despite receiving thousands of …