Bard port catheter litigation · Evidence guide
The Bard port cases test allegations about catheter materials and device failure
Plaintiffs allege that Bard implanted port catheters can lose integrity and cause infection, fracture, migration or thrombosis. The federal record has not decided those claims.
What plaintiffs allege
The lawsuits allege that too much barium sulfate in the catheter component reduced its material integrity and contributed to infection, fracture, migration or thrombosis. Bard opposed centralization. That procedural opposition is not a merits ruling, and the court orders do not establish that a product was defective or caused an individual injury.
Where the cases stand
MDL 3081 is in the District of Arizona before Judge David G. Campbell. JPML listed 3,734 actions pending on August 3, 2026. That is a dated case count, not an outcome.
What medical research adds
A broad systematic review of central venous catheters identified malfunction, infection and deep-vein thrombosis among complications during catheter use. It provides clinical context, but it does not test Bard's alleged material defect or prove why one person's complication occurred.
Verification ledger
Primary sources
Bard port catheter transfer order
The official allegations and centralization record.
MDL 3081, Document 65
Central venous catheter complication review
Background medical evidence, not Bard-specific proof.
PMID 38436976
Pending MDLs by Actions Pending
The dated federal docket snapshot.
Page 1, MDL 3081