There are approximately 29,000 mesh cases pending against Johnson & Johnson, C.R. Bard, Boston Scientific, Cook Medical Systems and Endo Health Solutions before Judge Joseph Goodwin in West Virginia. Reportedly, settlement talks are ongoing in some form with some of the defendants, with only Johnson& Johnson not participating. As the cases move to trial, transvaginal mesh manufacturer Coloplast has reportedly agreed to settle 400 cases for 16 million. (MDL No. 2387 In Re Coloplast Corp. Pelvic Support Systems Products Liability Litigation) The terms have not been disclosed. Coloplast is a worldwide company employing over 8000 people
Coloplast made Novasilk Synthetic Flat Mesh, Restorelle Smartmesh, and Exair mesh for POP (pelvic organ prolapse) and five products for SUI (stress urinary incontinence): Aris Transobdurator (TOT) sling, Minitape sling, Omnisure Sling, Supris Suprabic Sling, and T-Sling with Centrasorb.
It is not known what products are subject to the reported settlement.
Click here to read the full article: Coloplast Settles Hundreds of Vaginal Mesh Lawsuits for $16M
In June 2013, Endo Health agreed to a $54 million settlement involving an unknown number of claimants. According to regulatory filings, Endo Health Solutions is building a stockpile of cash in the amount of $520 million increasing reserves to cover expected fallout from the pelvic mesh litigation. Endo disclosed in a regulatory filing that the amount of money could increase due to the growing lawsuits and the ultimate outcome.
Vaginal Mesh Trial History
On February 18, 2014, Judge Joseph Goodwin granted Ethicon’s Motion for Directed Verdict at the close of Plaintiff’s case in Lewis vs. Ethicon, Inc.
Bard has lost two jury trials, settled a third case after a jury selected, and settled a fourth before trial commenced. In July 2012, a California jury awarded Christine Scott and her husband $5.5 million after she underwent nine revision surgeries. Scott sued C.R. Bard in 2009 over its Avaulta Plus mesh product.
In February 2013, Linda Gross won $11.11 million in her lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson’s Ethicon brand over its Prolift vaginal mesh product. Gross had 18 surgeries. The New Jersey jury found that J&J failed to warn patients and doctors about the risks of its mesh products and made fraudulent misrepresentations.
On August 15, 2013, after about 12 hours of deliberation, the jury found for Donna Cisson in her vaginal mesh trial against manufacturer C.R. Bard Inc, and found damages in the amount of $250,000 and $1.75 million in punitive damages. The jury found that Bard failed to provide adequate warnings as to the defects in its vaginal mesh product and that the device was defective. Judge Joseph Goodwin upheld the 2 million verdict in October 2013 as appropriate and that Cisson’s attorneys proved the company’s vaginal mesh was the cause of her injuries. In Queen vs. Bard, starting trial immediately after Cisson, a settlement was reached after the jury was selected. Finally, Bard settled Melanie Virgil’s claims that Bard’s Avaulta Plus insert caused urinary problems before trial commenced in New Jersey.
Our office represents women who have suffered horribly from these mesh products. We remain committed to representing them to a successful conclusion of their cases.
If you would like more information, check the video below, go to our website, or contact us at 1-800-481-1615 or email us.
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