Melissa LaFreniere  |  July 2, 2015

Category: Legal News

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Unum bad faith denial lawsuitA West Virginia federal court has agreed to consolidate 26 vaginal mesh lawsuits into one trial. The cases all accuse Ethicon Inc. of similar design defect allegations and they all involve West Virginia residents.

This consolidation effort is an attempt to move some of the 25,000 transvaginal mesh lawsuits through the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia in a timely manner. A trial date for the consolidated Ethicon lawsuits has not been set.

It appears that none of the parties are close to reaching a transvaginal mesh lawsuit settlement, and plaintiffs are concerned that if every one of the 25,000 Ethicon lawsuits go to trial, it could take years and even decades before each case faces a jury, as only a few thousand civil jury trials can take place each year.

In a proposal from the Plaintiff’s Steering Committee, Ethicon vaginal mesh lawsuits could be consolidated based on “product-specific, geographically compatible, trial-ready cases.” According to the motion, this would quickly establish values for all the other lawsuits that involve Ethicon’s vaginal mesh product and move cases through the court system much faster than if they were tried individually.

Bladder Sling Complications

Pelvic mesh and bladder slings were designed to give women a discrete option to treat pelvic organ prolapse, which is a condition that may occur after undergoing a hysterectomy, menopause, or after delivering a child. However, tens of thousands of women have reported the transvaginal mesh product caused such painful side effects that they ended up having the product surgically removed.

Reported vaginal mesh complications include:

  • Bladder infections
  • Vaginal infections
  • Painful sexual intercourse
  • Perforated bladder
  • Perforated bowel
  • Perforated blood vessels
  • Urinary problems
  • Multiple occurrences of pelvic organ prolapse

Some plaintiffs filing transvaginal mesh lawsuits also claim the implanted pelvic mesh device caused several more serious side effects, including vaginal scarring, organ injuries, and mesh erosion into the vagina.

Surgical Mesh Lawsuits

While Ethicon has been hit with more than 25,000 bladder sling lawsuits, other manufacturers are facing similar allegations. A recent transvaginal mesh lawsuit case list reported that there are currently 25,024 Ethicon cases, 16,425 Boston Scientific cases, 10,763 Bard Avaulta cases, 1,935 Coloplast cases, 299 Cook Medical cases, and 86 Neomedic cases pending.

As vaginal mesh lawsuits work their way through the judicial system, some plaintiffs have settled with the device manufacturers. Recent settlements include manufacturer Endo International, which agreed to settle nearly 20,000 AMS vaginal mesh lawsuits with a $1.6 billion pay out. Bladder sling manufacturer Boston Scientific also agreed to pay $119 million to settle nearly 3,000 vaginal mesh lawsuits.

Attorneys specializing in product liability cases such as vaginal mesh lawsuits can help victims obtain financial compensation for the medical bills that accrue after suffering from transvaginal mesh problems, as well as the pain and suffering experienced as a result of the faulty devices. Spouses can join vaginal mesh lawsuits as co-plaintiffs and sue for loss of consortium (loss of intimacy), which often increases the settlement awarded.

Do YOU have a legal claim? Fill out the form on this page now for a free, immediate, and confidential case evaluation. The vaginal mesh attorneys who work with Top Class Actions will contact you if you qualify to let you know if an individual lawsuit or class action lawsuit is best for you. [In general, vaginal mesh lawsuits are filed individually by each plaintiff and are not class actions.] Hurry — statutes of limitations may apply.

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Join a Free Transvaginal Mesh Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you or a loved one were injured by a transvaginal mesh product and underwent revision surgery to remove the mesh or repair the damage, you may have a legal claim. Submit your information now for a free case evaluation.

An attorney will contact you if you qualify to discuss the details of your potential case at no charge to you.

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