Manufacturer loses pelvic mesh liability lawsuit

Medical malpractice and product liability suits often seem like a David-versus-Goliath style match-up with little assurance of things playing out so well for the underdog. In many cases, victims who suffer serious harm cannot mount a strong legal case against a powerful company or care provider, and are stuck dealing with the aftermath of a faulty device or procedure.

In light of these odds, it is good news to the ears of many patients throughout the country to hear that a major medical device manufacturer recently lost a product liability suit, resulting in a multi-million dollar payout.

If you or someone you love suffered harm because of a faulty medical device, be sure to consider all the legal options you may have available. You may have strong grounds for a product liability suit, and the guidance of an experienced personal injury attorney can help you assess your circumstances and craft strong legal strategies to seek a fair settlement and protect your rights.

Jury awards millions for product liability and malpractice

News broke recently that an Indiana jury ruled in favor of the claimants in a suit against Johnson & Johnson (J&J) subsidiary Ethicon to the tune of $35 million. The suit alleged that both J&J and Ethicon purposefully concealed some of the issues with their Prolift vaginal mesh product. The product itself was clearly less safe than the company advertised, placing thousands of patients at risk of serious pain and other potential complications.

According to court documents, Ethicon represented the product as a safe option for women suffering a variety of conditions, including pelvic organ prolapse. Over time, many of the patients who received the treatment began to experience severe abdominal and pelvic pain, with some even developing ancillary infections.

In many cases, the mesh did not remain securely fastened within the surrounding tissue, coming loose and often aggravating adjacent tissues and even other organs.

While this is not a condition unique to patients using Prolift, it is a serious and even potentially life-threatening issue that may have changed the minds of many patients considering the product if they had received complete, honest information about the potential risks involved.

While the reward of the jury cannot undo the months or years of suffering caused by the faulty product and the ironically unethical practices of Ethicon, it does address the medical costs of the procedure and the victim’s subsequent suffering in the best way that the law has available.

Fighting for fair treatment and compensation

If you or someone you love faces similar suffering because of a medical product, carefully examine the details of your experience to determine whether a product liability medical malpractice suit may address your needs.