A History of the Litigation

Jan. 1992

FDA Commissioner David Kessler calls for moratorium on sale of silicon-gel breast implants

Sept. 1993

Breast-implant manufacturers agree to a settlement of all silicone-implant litigation in which the industry would have paid more than $4 billion. Dow Corning would have paid about half this amount.

May 1995

Dow Corning files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

Sept. 1995

The $4 billion global settlement collapses.

Nov. 1995

Other breast-implant defendants Baxter International, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing approve a scaled-back settlement offer that resolves many of the cases against those companies.

Feb. 1998

Dow Corning proposes plan under which it would pay women claimants $3 billion over approximately six to 12 years.

March 1998

Plaintiffs propose alternative plan in which Dow Corning would pay $3.8 billion over two to three years.

July 7, 1998

Dow Corning and plaintiffs agree to tentative $3.2 billion negotiated plan.

Source: The Wall Street Journal