In the first ruling against Johnson & Johnson’s line of vaginal-mesh products, a Texas jury ruled that the TVT-O mesh sling was incorrectly designed. It awarded $1.2 million to Linda Batiste in compensatory damages. Batiste complained of pelvic pain while the device was inside of her.
Johnson & Johnson is currently facing more than 12,000 lawsuits accusing its Ethicon branch of making defective or incorrectly designed vaginal inserts, used for treating incontinence. Complaints include device erosion, damaged organs and painful sex.
However, in a victory for Johnson & Johnson the jury ruled that Ethicon did provide adequate warnings about the mesh sling’s potential health risks. As a result, the plaintiff was not awarded any punitive damages.
Johnson & Johnson is not the only company facing lawsuits involving vaginal mesh implants. Along with C.R. Bard, 31 other vaginal device makers were ordered by the FDA to investigate the rates of organ damage and other complications linked to the inserts. In 2010, more than 70,000 mesh devices were installed, according to court filings.
Cohen Placitella & Roth PC has distinguished itself as proven leaders in medical malpractice litigation, and has won multi-million dollar recoveries in a variety of these suits. We invite you to contact Chris Placitella, Esq. today for a consultation at 888-375-7600 to discuss your case.