Wisner Baum Named to Leadership in Federal Spinal Cord Stimulator Litigation

Behram V. Parekh, a partner at Wisner Baum's Los Angeles office, has been appointed Co-Lead Counsel in the Boston Scientific spinal cord stimulator MDL. Associate attorney Hannah Quicksell has also been named to the litigation's Leadership Development Committee as the case moves into a new phase of coordinated discovery.

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 31, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Two Wisner Baum LLP attorneys have been appointed to leadership roles in the multidistrict litigation over Boston Scientific spinal cord stimulators, now pending in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

Behram V. Parekh has been appointed one of three Co-Lead Counsel in Boston Scientific Corporation Spinal Cord Stimulator Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 3181. Hannah Quicksell has also been appointed to the litigation's Leadership Development Committee.

The appointments come as lawsuits alleging serious injuries from spinal cord stimulation devices move from individual filings into coordinated federal proceedings involving common questions about device safety, manufacturer conduct and the regulatory history of the products.

Federal Cases Move into Coordinated Litigation

The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation established MDL No. 3181 to coordinate federal cases involving Boston Scientific spinal cord stimulators in the Central District of California before U.S. District Judge Josephine L. Staton.

As Co-Lead Counsel, Parekh will share responsibility for coordinating plaintiffs' pretrial activities, developing the litigation plan, presenting plaintiffs' positions to the court, organizing discovery, conducting principal depositions and managing common-issue and bellwether discovery and trials.

The leadership structure also includes a Plaintiffs' Executive Committee, Plaintiffs' Steering Committee and Leadership Development Committee. Quicksell and other Leadership Development Committee members will work with senior leadership on litigation projects, learn MDL leadership responsibilities through mentorship and participate in court and conference presentations as directed.

"This is complex litigation that will require significant coordination, scientific investigation and careful review of the regulatory record," Parekh said. "The purpose of leadership is to make sure that work is organized effectively and efficiently, while never losing sight of the fact that who we represent are the thousands of individual patients who were injured as a result of these devices."

Litigation Raises Questions Beyond a Single Device

Wisner Baum represents patients alleging that spinal cord stimulators manufactured by major device companies failed to deliver promised pain relief and instead caused injuries including painful electrical shocks, worsening pain, neurological symptoms, device malfunctions and the need for revision or removal surgeries.

The firm's lawsuits also challenge how spinal cord stimulators have evolved after their original U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approvals. Plaintiffs allege that manufacturers made extensive changes involving software and firmware, battery systems, wireless programming, stimulation patterns and other components through the FDA's premarket approval supplement process without conducting new clinical trials sufficient to evaluate the cumulative effect of those changes.

The Boston Scientific MDL addresses one portion of that broader litigation. According to Parekh, attorneys are also seeking to consolidate federal spinal cord stimulator cases against Abbott and Nevro, with the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation scheduled to consider those requests at a September 24 hearing.

"If additional cases are coordinated, this litigation could provide a much broader look at practices across the spinal cord stimulation industry," Parekh said. "These cases involve different manufacturers, but many of the underlying questions are similar: What evidence supported these devices, how were they changed, what risks emerged after implantation and what information was given to patients and physicians?"

Building a Coordinated Case

With plaintiffs' leadership established in the Boston Scientific MDL, attorneys will begin developing a unified litigation plan and identifying the common factual, scientific and regulatory issues that will drive discovery.

That work may include obtaining corporate records, examining adverse-event reporting, reviewing the history of device modifications and FDA submissions, questioning company witnesses and experts, and determining how representative cases may eventually proceed toward bellwether trials.

For Wisner Baum, these new leadership roles mark a shift from filing individual cases to helping shape the direction of federal litigation that could affect spinal cord stimulator patients nationwide.

"We are still early in this process," Parekh said. "But the creation of the MDL and the appointment of leadership mean these allegations will now be examined in a structured way. Our responsibility is to follow the evidence wherever it leads and make sure the people who say they were harmed by these devices have their cases heard."

About Wisner Baum

Wisner Baum is a nationally recognized plaintiffs' law firm with offices across the United States. For decades, the firm has represented individuals harmed by corporate misconduct, dangerous products, environmental exposure, and systemic failures. Wisner Baum is known for its trial experience, investigative rigor, and leadership in complex, high-impact litigation involving some of the world's largest companies. For more information, visit www.wisnerbaum.com

References

• In re Boston Scientific Corporation Spinal Cord Stimulator Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 3181, U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
• Shelp et al. v. Abbott Laboratories et al., No. 3:26-cv-02079, Complaint for Damages and Declaratory and Injunctive Relief (N.D. Cal. Mar. 10, 2026).
• Wisner Baum. (2026, July 22). Wisner Baum's lawsuits challenge FDA oversight of spinal cord implants.

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SOURCE Wisner Baum