JOSEPH F. BATAILLON, District Judge.
This matter is before the court on the defendants' motions in limine Filing Nos. 189, 192, 195, 198, 215, 222, 225, 228, 231, 234, 237, and 240, and on the plaintiffs' motions in limine, Filing Nos. 201, 203, 205, 209, 211, 213, 216, 217, and 249.
Although the motion in limine is an important tool available to the trial judge to ensure the expeditious and evenhanded management of the trial proceedings, performing a gate-keeping function and sharpening the focus for later trial proceedings, some evidentiary submissions, cannot be evaluated accurately or sufficiently by the trial judge in such a procedural environment.
The court is unable to evaluate the relevance of some of the challenged evidence in the context of a pretrial motion. The parties' concerns may warrant a cautionary or limiting instruction, but the court cannot determine the ambit of such an instruction at this time. The court will admit the evidence at issue only on a showing that it is relevant to the issues in the case, and only to the extent that the relevance of the evidence outweighs its potential to cause prejudice or confusion under
The court finds this motion should be overruled at this time, without prejudice to its reassertion via timely objection to the admissibility of such evidence at trial. The evidence appears to be relevant to the plaintiff's theories regarding the duty of care and to causation.
The court finds there is no basis to exclude evidence of Wyeth-supported, ghostwritten literature that was relied upon by experts in this case. Further, there is evidence that the plaintiff's physicians also relied on the literature. Accordingly, the court finds the motion should be overruled.
The court finds the motion should be overruled at this time, without prejudice to reassertion. See
The court finds the motion should be sustained in part. Evidence of Wyeth's communications to physicians in general appears relevant to the issues of duty and proximate causation. The plaintiff's prescribing physicians have testified that they were briefed by Wyeth representatives. However, call notes for specific calls other than those to the plaintiff's prescribers are not relevant.
The court finds this motion should be overruled. Internal causality assessments may be relevant to issues of notice.
The court finds this motion should be denied as moot. The plaintiffs agree that both sides should be precluded from presenting the results of other hormone therapy cases. Testimony with respect to expert compensation or presented in rebuttal may be permitted on a proper showing of foundation and relevance.
The court finds this motion should be overruled at this time, without prejudice to reassertion. The evidence appears to be relevant to issues in the case.
The court finds the motion should be denied with respect to any epidemiological evidence in peer-reviewed journals that was relied on by the plaintiff's experts. Subject to a proper showing of foundation and relevance, the evidence may be admissible to show general causation and/or negligence.
This motion raises the same issues as the plaintiffs' motion in limine No. 1, Filing No. 201. In addition to challenging the relevance of the evidence, defendants argue that warnings are inadmissible as subsequent remedial measures under Fed. R. Evid. 407. The court is unable to evaluate this evidence in the context of a motion in limine. Accordingly, the court finds the motion should be denied at this time, without prejudice to reassertion at trial.
The court finds this motion should be denied for the reasons stated in the court's ruling on the parties' Daubert motions with respect to the testimony of Drs. Blume, Parisian, and Austin. See Filing No. 291.
The court is advised that the plaintiffs have withdrawn their designations for Drs. Austin, Bloom, and Maloney. The court is further advised that the testimony of Dr. Colditz is subject to a global agreement that prior deposition testimony is considered preserved for trial. The plaintiffs also advise that Dr. Anderson-Fowler is expected to testify in person, unless she becomes unavailable between now and the time of trial. Further, the plaintiffs do not expect to call Drs. Julie Spencer or Timothy Kingston or Ms. Beth Stawniak and the availability or unavailability of those witnesses is not known. The plaintiffs have provisionally withdrawn the designation of those witnesses. Accordingly, the court finds this motion in limine should be denied as moot, without prejudice to reassertion should circumstances change.
The court finds this motion should be overruled at this time. The evidence may be relevant to issues of motive, state of mind, and ability to conduct testing. Although punitive damages are not at issue in this case, the evidence may be relevant to issues of reasonableness, negligence and failure to warn.
The court finds the motion should be sustained in part. Wyeth's overall net worth is not relevant because punitive damages are not at issue in this case. The motion is overruled with respect to individual employee compensation and to compensation of employee experts which is relevant to show motive, bias, and credibility.
The court finds this motion is premature. Accordingly, the court will deny the motion, without prejudice to reassertion at trial, if necessary.
The court finds this motion should be overruled at this time. Any evidence that Wyeth may have intentionally or knowingly misled the FDA would be relevant to the issue of the reasonableness of Wyeth's conduct. Although the plaintiffs have not asserted a fraud claim, evidence of fraud may nonetheless be relevant to other issues.
The court finds this motion should be denied as moot. The plaintiffs represent that they do not anticipate offering of such evidence, unless the defendants open the door by presenting "good acts" or "good character" evidence.
The court finds this motion should be granted at this time, without prejudice to reconsideration. The court will not permit additional expert testimony through this document. However, the document may contain some admissible evidence on a proper showing of foundation and relevance.
The court finds this motion should be denied at this time, without prejudice to reassertion. The evidence may be relevant to issues of reasonableness.
The court finds this motion should be denied as moot. Plaintiffs concede that they will not argue a causal connection between Mr. Kammerer's heart attack and Mrs. Kammerer's breast cancer. Testimony will be permitted to the extent it is relevant to Mr. Kammerer's loss of consortium claim.
As noted above, in connection with defendants' motion in limine No. 10 (Filing No. 231), the court is unable to evaluate this evidence in the context of a motion in limine. Accordingly, the court finds the motion should be denied without prejudice to reassertion at trial.
The court finds this motion should be denied as moot. The defendants do not anticipate offering evidence of risk-taking behavior. The court notes that to the extent the evidence is offered in the context of accepting the risk of hormone therapy treatment, it may be admissible on a proper showing of foundation and relevance.
The court is unable to evaluate this evidence in the context of a motion in limine. Accordingly, the motion will be denied at this time without prejudice to reassertion at trial.
The court finds this motion should be granted. The defendants do not oppose this motion.
The court is unable to evaluate this evidence in the context of a motion in limine. The motion is denied without prejudice to reassertion.
The court is unable to evaluate this evidence in the context of a motion in limine. The motion is denied without prejudice to reassertion.
The court finds this motion should be granted. The defendants are not opposed to the motion.
This motion is essentially unopposed. The court finds the motion should be granted, except as necessary for credibility or impeachment.
The court finds this motion should be granted. The defendants are not opposed.
The defendants are not opposed to exclusion of this evidence. Accordingly, the court finds the motion should be granted.
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED:
1. The defendants' motions in limine (Filing Nos. 189, 192, 195, 198, 215, 222, 225, 228, 231, 234, 237, and 240) are granted in part and denied in part as set forth in this Memorandum and Order.
2. The plaintiffs' motions in limine (Filing Nos. 201, 203, 205, 209, 211, 213, 216, 217, and 249) are granted in part and denied in part as set forth in this order.