Pinnacle Hip Implant MDL Judge Denies Efforts to Bifurcate Issue of Punitive Damages in Ongoing Trial

DALLAS –– The judge overseeing a DePuy Pinnacle Hip Implant trial currently underway has denied plaintiff efforts to bifurcate the issue of the amount of punitive damages, should jurors decide they’re warranted.

In an electronic order entered on Sept. 3 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Judge Ed Kinkeade denied the motion, according to the court’s online docket.

Defendants had opposed the motion on Aug. 27, arguing that the plaintiffs had “failed to identify a single concrete reason why bifurcation is appropriate in these cases.”

In an opposition brief, the defendants said bifurcation of the …