Johnson & Johnson faces another vaginal mesh complaint, adding to the mounting number of lawsuits filed against the drug giant’s subsidiary, Ethicon.  These vaginal mesh lawsuits allege that the company fraudulently concealed the dangers of vaginal mesh devices.

According to the vaginal mesh MDL, Ethicon negligently manufactured and sold defective and unreasonably dangerous products, and subsequently withheld information from consumers and the medical community about the risk of pelvic mesh devices eroding through the vagina, causing dangerous infections and other personal injuries.

Among the most recent vaginal mesh lawsuits is that of an Oregon woman, Marleen S. She claims that Ethicon negligently designed the Gynemesh device she received via surgical implantation in December 2005, thereby causing her serious side effects such as mesh erosion, organ damage, chronic pain, and other vaginal mesh complications.

Vaginal Mesh Complications

Vaginal Mesh products are medical devices that are surgically implanted to treat pelvic organ prolapse and/or stress urinary incontinence. Mesh surgery is supposed to create extra support, strengthening the internal organs and preventing them from coming into contact with each other.

However, documented problems with vaginal mesh or bladder sling systems have caused thousands of women throughout the United States to suffer severe injuries after vaginal mesh surgery. Not only do these vaginal mesh products pose a risk of serious complications, there is no evidence that transvaginal insertion of a bladder sling or vaginal mesh device provides any benefit over other available treatments for pelvic organ prolapse or stress urinary incontinence.

In recent years, the FDA has received reports of thousands of problems with Ethicon’s vaginal mesh systems, as well as reports of injuries stemming from pelvic mesh devices made by other companies. Many women are now pursuing vaginal mesh lawsuits after experiencing painful vaginal mesh complications from Ethicon mesh devices.

Marleen’s Vaginal Mesh Lawsuit is Case No: 2:15-cv-11576 and is part of the Ethicon Vaginal Mesh MDL, In re: Ethicon Inc. Pelvic Repair System Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2327, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, Charleston Division.