July 18, 2013 — The judge overseeing pre-trial coordination of vaginal mesh lawsuits against American Medical Systems (AMS) has selected four cases to serve as bellwether trials, according to Pretrial Order #71 (PDF). AMS is facing more than 8,500 lawsuits in federal court for injuries associated with the Elevate, Apogee, and Perigee transvaginal mesh.
Federal lawsuits against American Medical Systems (AMS) have been centralized before Judge Joseph R. Goodwin in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia.
Bellwether trials are a procedure used in the Multi-District Litigation (MDL) process. The trials involve a selection of “typical” cases, which are brought before a jury. Litigators use the jury’s decisions to value compensation for certain injuries. This helps encourage settlements and avoid individual trials for thousands of plaintiffs.
The following cases are selected as bellwether trials:
- Lisa Fontes, et al. v. American Medical Systems, Inc.
- Joann Serrano v. American Medical Systems, Inc., et al.
- Debbie K. Jilovec v. American Medical Systems, Inc.
- Mary Weiler, et al. v. American Medical Systems, Inc.
Judge Goodwin announced that he will select two of these cases, one of which will go to trial on December 3, 2013. He will do the same for the remaining two cases for a trial beginning on May 6, 2014. Lawsuits involving pelvic organ prolapse (POP) will be selected for a third round of trials to begin on July 29, 2014.
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 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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