The court issued trial management directions and an endorsement, adjourning a bifurcated liability trial scheduled to commence on May 21, 2019.
The adjournment was necessitated by the parties' lack of trial readiness, specifically concerning the plaintiff's uncertainty regarding witness identities (over 20 potential witnesses, some unnamed) and the failure to finalize an agreed statement of facts.
Additionally, the plaintiff's last-minute motion to add another foreign defendant, Eli Lilly S.A., introduced unresolved jurisdictional issues that would further complicate and extend the trial.
The court emphasized the importance of efficient trial management and the fair allocation of judicial resources, concluding that proceeding with the trial under these circumstances would risk exceeding the allotted time and prejudice other litigants.
