Lawyers handling drug-defect suits say New Jersey courts could see an uptick in volume of pharmaceutical and medical device suits in light of this week's Supreme Court ruling in a California case that narrowed access to jurisdiction for out-of-state plaintiffs.

The justices' holding on Monday in Bristol-Myers Squibb v. Superior Court of California, that California courts lacked general jurisdiction over suits by nonresident users of the blood thinner Plavix, will send some plaintiffs scrambling for new venues, lawyers said. And they added that New Jersey's status as home to numerous major drug companies could prompt more plaintiff lawyers from around the country to file their cases in this state's courts.

Already the court's ruling has prompted a St. Louis judge to declare a mistrial Monday in suits by one Missouri resident and two from other states claiming that Johnson & Johnson's talcum powder caused users to develop cancer.