Transvaginal Mesh Patch Lawsuit & Lawyers

February 28, 2013 - A South Dakota woman has been awarded $11.1 million in damages by a New Jersey jury for the injuries she suffered as a result of a Johnson & Johnson Ethicon transvaginal mesh implant.

The jury first ruled that the manufacturer must pay her $3.3. million in compensatory damages for medical expenses, pain and suffering and other costs caused by the failure of a Gynecare Prolift device. The jury then awarded $7.76 million in punitive damages to punish Johnson & Johnson for their actions

The trial in Atlantic City was the first of about 4,000 such lawsuits lined up against Johnson & Johnson over allegations that company's pelvic mesh products were defective and that company officials failed to warn patients and health care officials.

There is good news for women who have suffered serious health problems as a result of side effects from failed transvaginal mesh implants. Court records show that there have been significant positive rulings in the massive litigation that has been filed in both state and federal courts against manufacturers of these medical devices.

If you have been harmed by a defective transvaginal mesh implant you will want experienced, aggressive legal representation that protects your rights and works toward obtaining the maximum amount of compensation you may be due, dependent upon the circumstances of your case. Our team of experienced product-defect lawyers is currently offering free legal consultations for possible transvaginal mesh plaintiffs. Legal experts say that the filing of these lawsuits is likely to increase significantly as more women come forward to warn about the health problems that they have suffered from these devices.

The mesh lawsuits grew out of repeated failures of devices produced by dozens of companies. Tens of thousands of women have had transvaginal mesh implants in operations undergone to treat conditions known as pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence.

In the latest development stemming from the filing of a wave of lawsuits by women who have suffered severe health problems from transvaginal mesh implants, pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson has decided to pull four of its controversial mesh products from the marketplace.

The Food and Drug Administration has received thousands of reports of serious side effects suffered by women who had operations in which medical conditions were treated with transvaginal mesh products. The concerns have been passed on to the public by the FDA in a public health announcement that included language about reports of "complications associated with the placement of mesh through an incision made in the wall of the vagina. Although rare, these complications can have serious consequences. The reports have not been linked to a single brand or model of mesh."

Transvaginal mesh lawsuits had been filed by many women before the FDA's announcement but have accelerated since to such a degree that our federal court system has been forced to consolidate all such federal actions in what is called a multi-district litigation presided over by a single judge, U.S. District Court Judge Joseph R. Goodwin in the Southern District in West Virginia.

Johnson & Johnson, whose Ethicon unit produced transvaginal mesh implant systems, is one of the companies named in these lawsuits and is specifically a defendant in more than 600 cases. It was to this judge that Johnson & Johnson filed court papers informing the judge that it will halt the sales of four of its brands of implants, according to a recent court filing.

WHAT IS A TRANSVAGINAL MESH LAWSUIT?

Are you eligible for a transvaginal mesh lawsuit? Contact us as soon as possible for a free legal consultation about your case. We will review the details of your case and provide you with all of the legal options that may be available to you. If you do have a transvaginal mesh lawsuit we can promise you an aggressive pursuit of your legal rights to recover damages for the suffering and expenses that you might have incurred. Be aware there may be legal time limits -- called the statute of limitations -- that could affect your case so please contact us as soon as possible.

WHAT ARE THE TRANSVAGINAL MESH PROBLEMS?

Unfortunately, in the case of defective transvaginal mesh, history is repeating itself. The product has been controversial for several decades and complaints and lawsuits over these defects are not new. Boston Scientific Corporation’s ProtoGen model was removed from the market more over 10 years ago amidst a hailstorm of complaints. Rather than develop new technology, in some cases remade transvaginal mesh products modeled after the recalled ones were approved by the FDA! This has generated calls for an investigation into the process by which the federal agency reviews and approves medical devices.

A story in Bloomberg News quoted a California pelvic surgeon who said “The FDA got caught with their pants down,” in reference to a second go-round with transvaginal mesh complications. The manufacturers of the first wave of defective devices were forced to pay out undisclosed settlements to those victims and are now facing a new wave of transvaginal mesh lawsuits filed by women who have suffered similar complications.

WHO ARE THE MANUFACTURERS OF TRANSVAGINAL MESH PRODUCTS?

Several companies have released transvaginal mesh products onto the marketplace. Among them are:

• American Medical Systems
• Bard
• Boston Scientific
• Ethicon Division of Johnson & Johnson
• Gynecare Division of Johnson & Johnson
• Johnson & Johnson

These products have been sold to doctors and medical facilities in high volume in recent years, which only increases the potential for something to go wrong in a higher number of women.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF TRANSVAGINAL MESH PROBLEMS?

There are several symptoms that are common to transvaginal mesh problems, according to complaints that have been submitted to the FDA, health officials and physicians. Since 2005 an increasing number of incidents have been reported and the number has climbed to well over 1,000 official reports. Here are some of the most common symptoms:

• Urinary issues
• Repeated infections
• Pain, frequently severe
• Fever
• Recurring or constant soreness in the abdominal area
• A recurrence of urinary incontinence or organ prolapse
• Perforated bowels, bladder or blood vessels
• Erosion through the vaginal epithelium

Many women suffered through these physical problems for months without realizing what their problem was and many of them had to undergo repeated medical treatment, including transfusions, draining of abscesses and corrective surgery. Frustrated with the problems they suffered many of these victims invoked their legal rights to file transvaginal mesh lawsuits against the responsible manufacturers.