January 22, 2015 — Johnson & Johnson has agreed to pay settlements in four vaginal mesh lawsuits, including one case that was set for trial this week in Missouri.
According to Bloomberg News, the Missouri case was filed on behalf of a 77 year-old woman who developed an infection after she was implanted with Johnson & Johnson’s Ethicon Prolift. The infection contributed to her death in 2009.
The terms of the settlements remain confidential. They are the first settlements Johnson & Johnson has agreed to out of more than 23,000 cases pending against the company in state and federal court.
Most of those cases are overseen by U.S. District Judge Joseph Goodwin, who has recommended that device-makers come to the table instead of risking potentially billions of dollars in losses.
In fact, more vaginal mesh lawsuits have been filed against Johnson & Johnson than any other manufacturer. The company’s Ethicon subsidiary was the first to mass-market vaginal mesh beginning in the 1990s.
One of Ethicon’s first products was the TVT-Obturator (TVT-O) bladder sling. Last September, Ethicon was ordered to pay $3.27 million to a woman who was injured by TVT-O.
In 2013, a woman who was injured by the Prolift implant was awarded $11.1 million by a jury in New Jersey. The Prolift was pulled off the market in 2013, shortly after the FDA asked for new safety studies.
Johnson & Johnson also acquired Mentor Corp. in 2009. Yesterday, Mentor announced settlements in 111 lawsuits involving women who were injured by ObTape.
Do I have a Vaginal Mesh Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting vaginal mesh induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been diagnosed with erosion, infection, or needed surgery, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Defective Medical Device Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
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