August 26, 2013 — C.R. Bard has settled two out of four “bellwether” trials in a federal litigation that involves about 4,400 vaginal mesh lawsuits. Earlier this month, the first lawsuit was settled for $2 million. Last week, Bard agreed to a confidential vaginal mesh lawsuit settlement just before opening arguments were scheduled to begin, according to the West Virginia Gazette.
With more than 20,000 vaginal mesh lawsuits centralized in a federal Multi-District Litigation (MDL), manufacturers could pay billions of dollars in settlements. The C.R. Bard Vaginal Mesh MDL No. 2187 is located in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, before Judge Joseph Goodwin.
In the MDL process, lawyers select a small group of cases for “bellwether” trials. They use the jury’s decisions in these cases to help negotiate potential settlement agreements for thousands of similar cases without having to take each individual case to trial.
In the first “bellwether” trial, plaintiff Donna Cisson of Georgia was awarded $250,000 in compensation and $1.75 million in punitive damages by a jury in Charleston, West Virginia. In 2009, Cisson was implanted with the Bard Avaulta Plus to treat pelvic organ prolapse. She required several surgeries to remove the mesh and correct complications.
In the second case, plaintiff Wanda Queen of North Carolina alleged that Bard’s Avaulta mesh caused her to suffer pain and six surgeries. She was awarded an undisclosed settlement on the first day of trial.
The third trial, which was selected by C.R. Bard, is scheduled to begin on October 8. The plaintiff, Linda Rizzo of Wisconsin, allegedly suffered physical and emotional pain, disfigurement, permanent injury, and loss of consortium after she was implanted with Bard’s vaginal mesh.
Do I have a Vaginal Mesh Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting transvaginal mesh induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been injured by vaginal mesh, 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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