Bellwether Trials Set for Vaginal Mesh Implant Lawsuits
By Christina Drury
A status conference on the five vaginal mesh implant lawsuit MDLs was called on December 6, 2012 to announce the first three bellwether trials that will begin in December of 2013. The U.S. District Judge that is overseeing the trials in the Southern District of West Virginia, Judge Joseph R. Goodwin, has scheduled the three bellwether trials which will involve three different vaginal mesh implant manufacturers as defendants. The manufacturers that have been named in these trials are American Medical Systems, Ethicon and Boston Scientific.
What are Bellwether Trials?
What sets an MDL, or multidistrict litigation, apart is that each lawsuit is separate and distinct from the others and therefore has its own trial and verdict. Before vaginal mesh implant lawsuits in the MDL go forward, bellwether trials are brought before the judge to give each attorney representing both sides a chance to see how the juries might react to certain evidence or testimonies. This allows the vaginal mesh implant MDL attorneys to determine whether they will be successful based on what they have collected thus far. These results can also be used as precedents in future trials. The verdicts of the vaginal mesh implant lawsuit bellwether trials also give the Plaintiff and their attorneys an opportunity to decide whether their lawsuit is strong enough and if they will continue to move forward or if they should negotiate a settlement before going to trial.
What are the Complications associated with Vaginal Mesh Implants?
The vaginal mesh implant manufacturers that are involved in the five MDLs in West Virginia are Boston Scientific, C.R. Bard, Coloplast, Ethicon, and American Medical Systems. Women who require vaginal mesh implants have the devices implanted to help provide internal support for stress urinary incontinence or pelvic organ prolapse. Many women experienced severe complications after receiving a vaginal mesh implant, including:
- Bleeding
- Infections
- Mesh Erosion
- Organ Perforation
- Pain
- Painful Intercourse
- Protrusion
- Scarring
FDA Warns Vaginal Mesh Implant Complications are Not Rare
The FDA reported that during a two-year period between 2008 and 2010, they received more than 2,800 reports of women who had suffered serious and severe complications, injuries and even death caused by vaginal mesh implants. In 2011, the FDA warned that these complications were, in fact, not rare and some women may require several surgeries to repair the damages caused by the devices. The FDA also reported that there was no evidence that the vaginal mesh implant was more effective than any other non-surgical method designed to treat stress urinary incontinence or pelvic organ prolapse.
Hire a Lawyer and File Your Vaginal Mesh Implant Lawsuit Today
Thousands of lawsuits have been filed against vaginal mesh implant manufacturers alleging that these vaginal sling implants have caused and continue to cause serious complications. If you or someone you know has had a vaginal mesh implant and has suffered severe or fatal complications and injuries, you may be eligible to receive compensation. Please visit our Transvaginal Mesh, Vaginal Sling, Vaginal Mesh and Bladder Sling Class Action Lawsuit Investigation page for more information on the vaginal mesh implant lawsuit and the legal representation you require.
Updated January 4th, 2013
All medical device, dangerous drug and medical class action and lawsuit news updates are listed in the Drug and Medical Device section of Top Class Actions.
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