Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiary Ethicon may be slapped with higher than anticipated costs for the settlement of the nearly 50,000 product liability claims brought regarding the company’s transvaginal mesh device. Last year, Johnson & Johnson agreed to enter a $5 million settlement with a plaintiff who sued Johnson & Johnson for injuries she sustained after being implanted with an Ethicon transvaginal mesh device. The news about the settlement broke in November 2015 when the attorney representing the plaintiff filed a motion seeking approval of his attorney fees, reports Bloomberg news.
In January 2016, Johnson & Johnson agreed to a $120 million settlement to resolve the first two to three thousand transvaginal mesh lawsuits filed against it. With news of the $5 million settlement, however, the settlement of these claims could cost the health care company to shell out more dough to settle additional claims.
In March 2016, an appellate court in New Jersey upheld an $11.1 million verdict in another case concerning Johnson & Johnson’s transvaginal mesh device, and in February 2016, a jury in Philadelphia returned a verdict amounting to over $13 million against the company. Johnson & Johnson is in the process of appealing the Pennsylvania verdict. Despite these reported settlements and judgments, Johnson & Johnson has kept quiet about how much money it has reserved in total to compensate mesh product victims. It has also failed to disclose how much it may have paid to settle other, less publicized transvaginal mesh lawsuits.
To recover compensation from a medical device manufacturer, the plaintiff must show that the device was unreasonably dangerous. This can be accomplished in a number of ways. A plaintiff can establish that the design of the device was unreasonably dangerous or that the specific unit that the plaintiff received suffered from a manufacturing defect. The plaintiff can also show that the manufacturer failed to provide adequate warnings and instructions with the device, rendering it unreasonably dangerous.
There are a variety of medical device manufacturers that produce pelvic mesh products. These devices were originally designed to treat pelvic organ prolapse and stress urinary incontinence. Numerous women reported experiencing severe and painful complications after being implanted with the products, including cramping, bleeding, painful intercourse, and other conditions. Many of these women required revision surgeries, particularly when the mesh migrated away from the original implantation site. If you have received a pelvic mesh product and believe that you may be entitled to compensation, it is critical that you contact an experienced transvaginal mesh injury lawyer as soon as possible.
At Moll Law Group, we have provided knowledgeable and compassionate legal guidance to victims throughout the United States, including in Texas, California, Illinois, and New York. We offer a free consultation to help you learn about your legal rights and options and do not collect any fees unless we obtain a settlement or a judgment in your favor. Call us at 312-462-1700 or contact us online to set up your appointment.
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