We have discussed how Transvaginal mesh works and the unwanted side effects caused by its use. But what happens now? How do you bring legal action against the manufacturers of Transvaginal mesh? First let’s discuss the current legal actions brought against some of the manufacturers of Transvaginal mesh.
C.R. Bard
The C.R. Bard Company -- makers of Avaulta transvaginal mesh -- has been the subject of approximately 10,000 related lawsuits to date.
In one recent case, a jury ordered the company to pay a woman $2 million in damages. The jury said that C.R. Bard failed to test its mesh properly for use in human vaginas before marketing it for that purpose. The jury also found that the company neglected to use reasonable care in designing the mesh for transvaginal use and failed to warn the plaintiff of the dangers of using Avaulta transvaginally. This award included $1.75 million in punitive damages and $250,000 in compensatory damages. C.R. Bard appealed the verdict, but an appellate judge upheld the ruling in January 2015.
Johnson & Johnson
Johnson & Johnson owns a subsidiary company called Ethicon that manufactures Gyncare transvaginal mesh. Women injured by this product have collectively launched approximately 22,000 suits against Ethicon and Johnson & Johnson. Ethicon has also been criticized for disposing of thousands of documents regarding its development of the Gyncare mesh. Here are some example cases:
A West Virginia case led to a $3.27 million jury award for the plaintiff in September 2014. The plaintiff alleged that Ethicon failed to warn her of the dangers of using this mesh product, which led to permanent injuries.
Two similar and recent lawsuits against Ethicon lead to two other major awards: a New Jersey woman won $11 million, and a woman in Texas pursued legal action that resulted in a $1.2 million settlement.
American Medical Systems
This transvaginal mesh manufacturer has faced approximately 18,000 lawsuits involving its mesh to date; more are being filed almost daily (as of spring 2015).
Boston Scientific
Plaintiffs have hit Boston Scientific with around 14,000 transvaginal mesh lawsuits to date. The company earned the dubious distinction of being the first transvaginal mesh manufacturer to face a court trial over injuries from its mesh. This case, which established critical benchmarks and influenced future litigation, involved allegations from four women who claimed that the mesh injured them. The jury awarded these women $18.5 million.
The company later faced a $26.7 million judgment pursuant to injuries caused by its Pinnacle mesh as well as a massive $73.4 million judgment pursuant to injuries caused by its Obtryx mesh product.
Additional Companies
We’ve covered the biggest companies and largest lawsuits, but other mesh manufacturers have faced the music as well. These include:
- Colplast--approximately 1,700 lawsuits
- Cook Medical--approximately 250 lawsuits
- Neomedic--approximately 70 lawsuits
As you can see there are many significant factors that go into the review of a transvaginal mesh injury claim and why it is imperative that you hire a legal team that has the experience, knowledge and support that you and your family need in order to receive the benefits that you deserve.
Know that you are not alone and our experienced attorneys are here to help. Call 1-855-423-3666 for a free and confidential case evaluation.
And for more information regarding the harm of transvaginal mesh implants download a copy of our free E-book, Transvaginal Mesh Lawsuits: What You Need to Know If You Have Suffered Harm from Vaginal Mesh Implants. Be sure to check back each week for more blogs regarding transvaginal mesh injury and what we can do to help.