Steal This Newsletter June 2026 Edition

Michael Stanisci
Jun 9
11 min read

Steal This Newsletter

Mass Tort and Personal Injury Update | June 2026 Edition

By Michael Stanisci, MassTortMichael

A note to law firms: This newsletter is built to be shared. Take it. Adapt it. Send it to your clients, your past clients, and your referral network. All I ask is that you keep the attribution to MassTortMichael. The people who need this information are the ones who never see it. You can be the one who shows them.

1. Opening Note from Michael

June is a big month. Three of the largest litigations in the country hit major turning points in the next few weeks. The Supreme Court is expected to rule on Roundup by the end of its term. The Depo-Provera science hearings start June 24. And the talc settlement talks are moving under a court-appointed mediator.

Here is why this matters to your firm. Most people who are hurt by a drug, a device, or a chemical never file a claim. They do not know they have one. Good marketing closes that gap. So does activating the relationships you already have. The two work together. The firms that grow are the ones who put the word out through smart campaigns and through their own clients and communities at the same time. That is what this newsletter is for. If you want help picking the right marketing partner for your firm, that is one of the things I do, and I am glad to help.

2. Fast Facts This Week

There are now 202,129 cases pending in federal MDLs as of June 1, 2026. That is about half of all pending federal civil cases [1].
The Depo-Provera brain tumor litigation holds general causation hearings June 24 through 26 in the Northern District of Florida [2].
The Supreme Court heard the Roundup preemption case, Durnell, on April 27. A decision is expected by the end of the term [3] [4].
The J&J talcum powder MDL is now the largest mass tort docket in the country at roughly 68,000 cases [1] [5].
A new federal MDL for GLP-1 vision loss claims (Ozempic, Wegovy and similar drugs) is growing, with 86 cases and a Science Day held June 2 [6] [7].
The Roblox child exploitation MDL has grown to about 162 federal cases as of June 2026, up from 85 at the start of the year [8] [9].
The AFFF firefighting foam MDL now holds 15,240 claims in South Carolina federal court [10].

3. Key Mass Tort Spotlights

Spotlight 1: Depo-Provera and Brain Tumors (MDL 3140)

What happened and why it matters. Women who used the Depo-Provera birth control shot are filing lawsuits after being diagnosed with meningioma. That is a type of brain tumor. It is usually not cancer, but it can press on the brain and cause serious harm. The FDA approved a label change in December 2025 that added a meningioma warning [11]. As of June 2026, about 5,508 cases are pending in the MDL before Judge M. Casey Rodgers in the Northern District of Florida [12]. The court holds Daubert hearings on general causation June 24 through 26. The judge will decide whether plaintiff experts can tell a jury that Depo-Provera can cause these tumors [2] [11]. The first bellwether trial is set for December 7, 2026 [11].

Evaluation snapshot.

Plaintiff Numerosity: High and growing fast. The docket added roughly 1,000 cases in a single month earlier this year [13].
Defendant Viability: Pfizer is a large, solvent defendant.
Financial Viability: Strong. Pfizer has the resources to pay settlements if liability is established.
Scientific Viability: Studies linking high-dose progestins to meningioma go back decades, and the December 2025 FDA label change supports the warning claims [11] [14]. The June hearing is the key test.
Time to Resolution: It is believed that this litigation is on a fast track, with pilot trials in December 2026. But no settlements exist yet, and any payout talk is conjecture [12].
Venue of MDL: Northern District of Florida, Judge M. Casey Rodgers [12].
Bellwether Results: None yet. First trial December 2026 [11].
Daubert and Frye: Hearings June 24 to 26, 2026. This is the single biggest risk event in the case right now [2].
State of Litigation: Litigation phase. A Pfizer preemption motion is also fully briefed and awaiting a ruling [11].

What firms should consider next. Watch the late June rulings closely before scaling spend. If causation experts survive, expect acquisition costs to rise quickly. Screening basics: at least two injections of Depo-Provera or an approved generic, plus an image-confirmed meningioma diagnosis [12]. Statutes of limitations can be as short as one year in some states, so timing matters [12].

Spotlight 2: Roundup at the Supreme Court (Durnell)

What happened and why it matters. The Supreme Court heard argument on April 27 in Monsanto v. Durnell. The question is whether federal pesticide labeling law blocks state failure-to-warn claims over Roundup and cancer [3]. Bayer says a win could largely end the litigation [4]. More than 100,000 plaintiffs have claims tied to Roundup [15]. The Court is expected to rule by the end of the term, which usually means late June or early July [3]. Separately, a Missouri judge gave preliminary approval in March to a class settlement covering certain non-Hodgkin lymphoma claims [4].

Evaluation snapshot.

Plaintiff Numerosity: Very high. Roughly 170,000 total claims have been filed over the years, with tens of thousands still pending [16].
Defendant Viability: Bayer remains solvent but has spent billions on this litigation [15].
Financial Viability: It is our understanding that Bayer's strategy is built around containing future exposure, including the Supreme Court case and class settlement structures [4].
Scientific Viability: Contested. Juries have gone both ways, while the EPA maintains glyphosate is not likely carcinogenic [3].
Time to Resolution: Unknown until the Court rules. A preemption win for Bayer could cut off most failure-to-warn claims. A loss keeps the litigation alive.
Venue: The Supreme Court ruling will apply nationwide. The underlying verdict came from Missouri state court [4].
Bellwether Results: Mixed over the years. Durnell itself was a $1.25 million plaintiff verdict on failure to warn [17].
Daubert and Frye: Long settled in most venues. Preemption is now the controlling issue.
State of Litigation: Mature. This is an end-game moment.

What firms should consider next. This is a wait-and-watch month. Do not commit new acquisition dollars to Roundup until the decision lands. If the Court rules against preemption, expect a fast and crowded re-entry by major advertisers.

Spotlight 3: Talcum Powder (MDL 2738)

What happened and why it matters. The talc litigation against Johnson & Johnson is now the biggest active MDL in the country, at about 68,000 cases [1]. J&J's bankruptcy strategies have been shut down, a court-appointed mediator is overseeing settlement talks, and expert testimony linking talc to ovarian cancer has been cleared for juries [5]. The Lancet also retracted a 1977 talc safety paper after it came out that the author was a paid J&J consultant [5].

Evaluation snapshot.

Plaintiff Numerosity: The highest of any active MDL [1].
Defendant Viability: J&J is one of the most solvent defendants in mass tort history.
Financial Viability: Strong, though preliminary reports suggest the sticking point is the total settlement number, not ability to pay [5].
Scientific Viability: Strengthening for plaintiffs. Experts cleared, and a key defense paper retracted [5].
Time to Resolution: It is believed that mediation plus looming bellwethers could produce movement in 2026, but that is conjecture until a deal is announced.
Venue of MDL: District of New Jersey, MDL 2738 [1].
Bellwether Results: J&J has lost repeatedly when these cases reach juries, including large verdicts [5].
Daubert and Frye: Resolved in plaintiffs' favor on the key ovarian cancer experts [5].
State of Litigation: Late litigation phase, edging toward settlement posture.

What firms should consider next. This case is famous, so competition for new claimants is real. Run a focused campaign with the right partner and pair it with a review of your existing files and past intake records for women with ovarian cancer and long-term talc use who were never signed. Doing both at once gives you the best reach for your spend.

Spotlight 4: GLP-1 Vision Loss, the Emerging One to Watch (MDL 3163)

What happened and why it matters. In December 2025, the JPML created a new MDL for claims that GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro caused NAION. NAION is a kind of eye stroke. Vision loss is usually sudden, painless and permanent [7]. The MDL sits before Judge Karen Spencer Marston in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the same judge handling the larger GLP-1 stomach injury MDL, which now has about 3,636 cases [6] [18]. The NAION docket held 86 cases as of early June, and the court held a Science Day on June 2 [6] [19]. A new Veterans Affairs study found GLP-1 users had a higher three-year NAION risk than users of an older diabetes drug class [6].

Evaluation snapshot.

Plaintiff Numerosity: Small now, but the exposed population is enormous. Millions of Americans take these drugs.
Defendant Viability: Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly are both named and both highly solvent [7].
Financial Viability: Strong defendants. The injury is severe and permanent, which supports meaningful case values if liability holds.
Scientific Viability: Developing. A Harvard-affiliated study found a higher NAION risk, and Europe's regulator added NAION to labels in June 2025. The FDA has not, and that gap is central to the failure-to-warn theory [7]. It is our understanding that research is still leading toward, not settled on, causation.
Time to Resolution: Long. This MDL is in its first year. Bellwethers are likely years away [7].
Venue of MDL: Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Judge Marston [7].
Bellwether Results: None.
Daubert and Frye: Not yet reached. Science Day on June 2 was an educational step, not a ruling [19].
State of Litigation: Emerging phase. This is when acquisition costs are lowest and risk is highest.

What firms should consider next. This fits the classic early-entry profile: low cost per case now, real science risk later. Size your spend to your risk tolerance. Screening centers on a NAION diagnosis from a doctor, usually a neuro-ophthalmologist, after GLP-1 use.

4. Personal Injury and Consumer Watchlist

Roblox child exploitation (MDL 3166). Federal cases alleging Roblox failed to protect children from predators have grown to about 162, before Chief Judge Richard Seeborg in the Northern District of California [8] [9]. At least seven state attorneys general have sued or opened investigations [20]. These are individual abuse claims, not a class action, and they require careful, trauma-informed intake [9].
NEC baby formula. Judge Pallmeyer denied defense Daubert motions against two key general causation experts, keeping the core theory alive that cow's milk-based formulas raise NEC risk in premature infants. About 360 federal cases are pending, plus roughly 600 to 700 in state courts, after three state verdicts totaling $630 million [21].
AFFF firefighting foam. The personal injury side of the foam litigation now holds 15,240 federal claims. There is still no global personal injury settlement, and a planned bellwether was taken off the calendar [10]. Firefighters, veterans, and people who drank contaminated water near bases remain the core claimant groups [10].
Recall watch. Haleon announced a voluntary recall of four lots of Gas-X Extra Strength Softgels on June 4 [22]. The FDA continues to post recalls and early alerts daily, including an expanded early-alert program for medical devices [23]. Recalls are often the first public signal of a future litigation. Build a habit of checking them weekly.

Also, a practice pointer rather than a fact: Atlantic hurricane season began June 1. If your firm handles property or injury claims, now is the time to prep your intake and your client communication templates, not after a storm makes landfall.

5. Practical Outreach Angles for Firms

Marketing is the engine of new claimant acquisition, and I endorse it. Smart campaigns reach the people who would otherwise never learn they have a claim. The trick is matching the right partner and the right channel to your firm's size, goals, and risk tolerance. That is work I love helping firms with, so if you want recommendations tailored to your practice, reach out.

Alongside your marketing, you can activate the relationships you already have. This runs in parallel, it costs little, and it compounds the reach of every campaign dollar you spend.

Run the campaign and work your list. Your paid marketing and your warm relationships are not either-or. They amplify each other. A claimant who sees your ad and then hears from someone they trust is far more likely to act.
Mine your closed files. Past PI, workers' comp, and family law clients are a permission-based audience. A simple letter or email about Depo-Provera, talc, or GLP-1 vision loss can surface claims and feed your intake.
Ask one question at intake. Add a single line to every intake call: have you or anyone in your family been diagnosed with cancer, a brain tumor, or sudden vision loss after using a prescription drug or medical product? You will be surprised what comes back.
Educate as you market. The reason 80 percent of injured people never file is that no one ever told them the product and the injury are connected. Clear education makes every ad and every conversation work harder.
Talk to firefighters and veterans groups in your county. AFFF claims are still unfiled by the tens of thousands. Local relationships and local marketing together are a powerful combination here.
Send this newsletter. That is the whole point of the name. Adapt it, brand it alongside your firm, keep the attribution, and put it in front of your list this week. Staying top of mind is its own form of marketing.

We are all better together. The more we share good information, the more people get connected to the help they need, and the more all of us grow. Follow your state bar's advertising and solicitation rules as you go. Nothing here is legal advice, and anyone with a potential claim should talk to a licensed attorney about their specific situation.

6. From Michael

I built this newsletter on one belief. Information should not be the barrier between an injured person and their claim. Most weeks, the news is incremental. This month is different. Two of the biggest rulings of the decade, the Roundup decision and the Depo-Provera causation hearings, land within weeks of each other. What happens in late June will shape acquisition budgets, settlement timelines, and thousands of families' outcomes for years.

My ask is simple. Do not just read this. Use it. Send it. Market with it. The claimant who needs it is probably already in someone's contact list. Maybe yours. We are all better together, and the more we give, the more we all grow.

Steady as we go. Let's continue the mission of helping more people now than ever because we are #BetterTogether

- Michael

7. Contact Michael Stanisci — MassTortMichael

If you are a potential claimant: I can help connect you with the right law firm for your situation. There is no cost to reach out.
If you are an attorney or legal service provider: I consult end-to-end. That means improving operations, adding meaningful technology to your stack, and growing claimant acquisition the right way.
I am a proud member of the National Legal Vendors Association (NLVA) and serve on two NLVA committees.
Schedule time with me directly, or ask about joining my podcast: https://calendly.com/michaelstanisci/chat-with-michael
Email: michael@masstortmichael.com
Call or text: 908-548-5378
Web: https://www.masstortmichael.com/
Social: @MassTortMichael and @michaeljstanisci across LinkedIn, X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Threads, and TikTok

8. Citations

MDLCases.com, JPML statistics as of June 1, 2026 — https://mdlcases.com/
AboutLawsuits, Depo-Provera causation hearings set for late June 2026 — https://www.aboutlawsuits.com/depo-provera-lawsuit/hearings-evidence-depo-provera-causes-meningioma-brain-tumors-june-2026/
U.S. News, Supreme Court hears Roundup arguments, April 27, 2026 — https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2026-04-27/supreme-court-divided-over-bayer-roundup-cancer-lawsuits-heres-whats-at-stake
Bayer, Managing the Roundup Litigation — https://www.bayer.com/en/managing-the-roundup-litigation
Lawsuit Information Center, Talcum Powder Lawsuit, June 2026 update — https://www.lawsuit-information-center.com/2-billion-verdict-in-missouri-motivates-jj-to-settle-talcum-powder-lawsuits.html
Lawsuit Information Center, Ozempic NAION and GI Lawsuit updates — https://www.lawsuit-information-center.com/ozempic-naion-gastroparesis-lawsuit.html
MDL Update, MDL 3163 GLP-1 NAION Products Liability Litigation — https://mdlupdate.com/mdl/3163-glp-1-naion-products-liability-litigation/
Consumer Notice, Roblox Lawsuit, June 2026 — https://www.consumernotice.org/legal/roblox-lawsuit/
Lawsuit Information Center, Roblox Sex Abuse Lawsuit, June 2026 — https://www.lawsuit-information-center.com/roblox-sex-abuse-lawsuit.html
Drugwatch, AFFF Lawsuits, June 2026 — https://www.drugwatch.com/pfas-lawsuits/afff/
Neumann Law Group, Depo-Provera MDL 3140 case page — https://www.neumannlawgroup.com/practice-areas/personal-injury/product-liability/defective-medical-devices/depo-provera-brain-tumor-lawsuits/
Drugwatch, Depo-Provera Lawsuit, June 2026 — https://www.drugwatch.com/depo-provera/lawsuit/
King Law, Depo-Provera Lawsuit update — https://www.robertkinglawfirm.com/personal-injury/depo-provera-lawsuit/
Lawsuit Information Center, Depo-Provera Lawsuit — https://www.lawsuit-information-center.com/depo-provera-lawsuit.html
The Lens / Grist, Supreme Court Roundup coverage, May 2026 — https://thelensnola.org/2026/05/08/supreme-court-roundup-glyphosate-bayer-lawsuit/
ConsumerShield, Current Mass Tort Cases — https://www.consumershield.com/articles/mass-torts
Bayer press release, Supreme Court grants review in Durnell, January 16, 2026 — https://www.bayer.com/media/en-us/bayer-welcomes-the-us-supreme-court-decision-to-review-the-durnell-case-in-the-roundup-litigation/
Lawsuit Tracker, Ozempic Lawsuit, June 2026 — https://lawsuittracker.org/dangerous-drugs/ozempic-lawsuit/
King Law, Ozempic Blindness Lawsuit, 2026 update — https://www.robertkinglawfirm.com/personal-injury/ozempic-lawsuit/ozempic-blindness-lawsuit/
OpenClassActions, Roblox litigation overview, 2026 — https://openclassactions.com/news/roblox-lawsuits-settlement-child-exploitation-2026.php
Lawsuit Information Center, NEC Baby Formula Lawsuit, June 2026 — https://www.lawsuit-information-center.com/nec-baby-formula-lawsuits.html
Drugs.com, FDA Drug Recalls and Alerts, Haleon Gas-X recall, June 4, 2026 — https://www.drugs.com/fda_alerts.html
FDA, Recalls, Market Withdrawals and Safety Alerts — https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts

9. Copyright and Sharing

This newsletter is general information, not legal advice. Litigation facts change quickly. Case counts and dates reflect the sources cited as of early June 2026. Eligibility criteria and filing deadlines vary by state and by case. Anyone with a potential claim should consult a licensed attorney about their specific matter.

Steal This Newsletter June 2026 Edition