$41 Million Verdict in Ethicon Transvaginal Mesh Lawsuit

Philadelphia Jury Awards Woman with $41 Million Verdict in Ethicon Transvaginal Mesh Lawsuit

Verdict in Ethicon transvaginal mesh

Transvaginal mesh lawsuits continue to dominate headlines as most of the verdicts in favor of injured plaintiffs are in the millions. The most recent transvaginal mesh lawsuit out of Philadelphia resulted in a $41 million verdict for an injured woman and her husband. The defendant in the case, Ethicon, Inc., a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, has been hit by similarly large verdicts but has also achieved a handful of defense verdicts over the past few years. The $41 million verdict consisted of $15 million in compensatory damages (pain and suffering, lost wages, and medical expenses), $25 million in punitive damages (intended to punish Ethicon for its conduct), and $1 million in damages for the husband of the injured woman.

What’s Wrong with These Transvaginal Mesh Devices?

The injured woman who won a hefty multi-million verdict against Ethicon, Inc. was implanted with three different transvaginal mesh products designed, manufactured, and sold by Ethicon, Inc. Two of the products (Prolift and Gynemesh) were implanted to treat pelvic organ prolapse POP. The third product (TVT-O) was implanted to treat stress urinary incontinence (SUI). While both POP and SUI can be serious conditions, there are multiple treatment options available, many of which do not involve the use of permanent transvaginal mesh, which is comprised of a polypropylene material.

An extraordinary number of women have suffered complications from implantation of transvaginal mesh devices that have not been fully tested before hitting the marketplace. Complications that are often permanent, include, but may not be limited to, the following:

• Chronic pain;
• Mesh erosion and degradation;
• Mesh extrusion (where the product protrudes into other parts of the pelvic region);
• Worsening incontinence or recurrence of incontinence;
• Urinary retention (inability to urinate);
• Recurrence of pelvic organ prolapse;
• Chronic infections;
• Injury to a sexual partner;
• Pain during sex (dyspareunia); and
• Inability to have sexual relations.

Because the pelvic area is extremely sensitive, the long-term consequences of transvaginal mesh injuries can be both physically and mentally catastrophic. Anyone who has suffered at the expense of a defective transvaginal mesh product should seek the advice of a Transvaginal Mesh Implant Lawyer.