Transvaginal Mesh Lawsuit

Transvaginal mesh implants (sometimes called bladder slings) are a widely used medical device to treat pelvic organ prolapse (POP) or stress urinary incontinence (SUI). However, women began filing complaints about their mesh several years later, citing chronic pain, difficult intercourse, and internal bleeding. Now, thousands of women nationwide are taking legal action against manufacturers for neglecting their safety. Settlements have already been made, and more are expected to follow.

The Guardian Legal Network can connect victims to experienced legal counsel well-versed in defective medical lawsuits. Qualifying victims who received revision surgeries for their transvaginal mesh may receive legal compensation. Contact us today to connect with legal experts about your transvaginal mesh claim.

Transvaginal Mesh Complications

Several complications have been mentioned by women pursuing legal action, each requiring revision or removal surgeries to address. These severe complications are:

Bleeding
Infection
Organ Perforation
Painful Intimacy
Pelvic Pain
Transvaginal Mesh Erosion
Urinary Problems

These complications can be life-alternating or debilitating for women and may have long-lasting consequences. There were 1,766 medical device reports relating to vaginal mesh complications from 2005 to 2010, ten percent of 75,000 patients who received surgery utilizing mesh among them.

Beyond the complications is the threat of death; one woman died from a sepsis infection related to her vaginal mesh implant. After this, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) reclassified transvaginal mesh as a Class III, high-risk device.

Halting Transvaginal Mesh Sales

Other efforts by the FDA include a ban on selling and distributing specific transvaginal mesh used to treat anterior compartment prolapse (cystocele). Additionally, the organization stated the remaining companies selling medical devices failed to show their products were safe for long-term use.

Any woman with a transvaginal mesh implant experiencing complications should speak with their healthcare provider. The FDA also recommends women planning to receive a mesh implant for POP or SUI look into and discuss other treatment options with their doctor.

Transvaginal Mesh Settlements

Manufacturers have settled with numerous victims for millions of dollars and are expected to pay a combined total of $550 million in 2023. Before that, Boston Scientific Corp. agreed to pay $188.7 million to settle claims in 47 states in 2021. In 2019, Ethicon and Johnson & Johnson paid settlements of $116.9 million and $117 million to victims. The largest of these settlements remains the $830 million paid by Endo International Plc in 2014. Ultimately, plaintiff lawyers have stated the settlements may reach a total of $11 billion.

Qualifying victims may receive various payments according to their situation, including:

Reimbursement for past and future medical costs
Compensation for pain and suffering
Lost wages from missing work
Loss of consortium (spouse’s companionship)
Punitive damages from the manufacturer

Transvaginal Mesh Settlements

Several mesh manufacturers chose to settle claims filed against them. Endo International plc purchased the manufacturer of the original mesh. Endo settled claims against the mesh product for $775 million. In addition, the company stopped making and distributing the device. Several smaller manufacturers followed suit and also settled their cases.

Some larger manufacturers have chosen to fight lawsuits brought against them. Johnson & Johnson, who distributes its transvaginal mesh devices through Ethicon, was dealt major blows when juries entered several large verdicts against the company. One verdict was $35 million. Johnson & Johnson did settle thousands of other suits brought against its mesh product. Boston Scientific, another maker of transvaginal mesh products, had a $100 million verdict, which was later reduced to $10 million.

On October 17, 2019, J&J agreed to pay a $117 million settlement to resolve claims that the company deceptively marketed the product as safe and failed to warn patients and doctors about the dangerous side effects of the vaginal mesh implant. In just a few months later, J&J was ordered by a California judge to pay $344 million in damages because the company deceptively marketed transvaginal pelvic mesh implants to tens of thousands of women in California.

In September 2020, Becton Dickinson and Co agreed to pay $60 million to resolve allegations by the attorneys general of 48 U.S. states and Washington D.C. that its CR Bard unit concealed the risks of its now-discontinued transvaginal pelvic mesh devices.

Filing Your Claim With GLN

Thousands of women like you are holding transvaginal mesh manufacturers accountable for their negligence and pursuing justice for the complications caused by a product meant to be safe. The Guardian Legal Network can connect you to an expert attorney skilled in defective medical devices who will fight on your behalf, and you won’t pay unless you win.

Contact the Guardian Legal Network, reclaim your life, and hold negligent manufacturers accountable today.

References

Center for Devices and Radiological Health. “Urogynecologic Surgical Mesh Implants.” U.S. Food and Drug Administration, August 16, 2021. https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/implants-and-prosthetics/urogynecologic-surgical-mesh-implants#:~:text=On%20April%2016%2C%202019%2C%20the,and%20distributing%20their%20products%20immediately.
Cuniff, Meghann. “Vaginal Mesh Lawsuit Update May 2023.” Edited by Adam Ramirez. Forbes, January 27, 2023. https://www.forbes.com/advisor/legal/product-liability/vaginal-mesh-lawsuit/.
Dye, Jessica. “Endo Agrees to $830 Million Settlement of Vaginal-Mesh Cases.” Reuters, April 30, 2014. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-endo-mesh-settlement/endo-agrees-to-830-million-settlement-of-vaginal-mesh-cases-idUSBREA3T15F20140430.
“FDA Strengthens Requirements for Surgical Mesh for the Transvaginal Repair of Pelvic Organ Prolapse to Address Safety Risks.” U.S. Food and Drug Administration, January 4, 2016. https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-strengthens-requirements-surgical-mesh-transvaginal-repair-pelvic-organ-prolapse-address-safety.
Reuters Staff. “Johnson & Johnson Agrees to Pay about $117 Million to Settle U.S. States’ Mesh Probe.” Reuters, October 17, 2019. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-johnson-johnson-settlement-mesh/johnson-johnson-agrees-to-pay-about-117-million-to-settle-u-s-states-mesh-probe-idUSKBN1WW2EK.