$12.5 Million Awarded in Ethicon Prolift Tranvasginal Mesh Trial

What is Transvaginal Mesh?

Transvaginal mesh (TVM) is a type of implantable mesh designed to treat pelvic organ prolapse (POP) or stress urinary incontinence (SUI) that has been linked to a number of severe complications allegedly associated with defects in the design of the mesh. According to a growing body of research, women who receive vaginal mesh implants may be at risk for devastating complications caused by the mesh eroding in the vagina or otherwise not functioning as intended, and in 2008, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) indicated that it had received more than 1,000 reports of adverse events involving POP or SUI repair with surgical mesh in the previous three years.

Compensation for Surgical Mesh Injuries

In light of the alleged risk of transvaginal mesh injuries, women across the country are pursuing legal claims against the makers of the allegedly defective devices. This latest surgical mesh award was delivered by a jury in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas on December 21, in a product liability lawsuit filed by Patria Hammons, who received $5.5 million in compensatory damages for severe pain, permanent injuries and the need for multiple surgeries to repair or remove her mesh implant. The following day, the jury added $7 million in punitive damages against Johnson & Johnson’s Ethicon subsidiary, designed to punish the manufacturing company for claims including gross negligence and reckless disregard for consumer health and safety.

Mesh May Be Defectively Designed

According to Patria Hammons’ claim, she received the Ethicon Prolift mesh implant in 2009, to treat pelvic organ prolapse (POP), a common medical condition characterized by weakened or damaged pelvic muscles and tissues that results in the bladder, uterus, rectum or bowel sagging into the vaginal canal. Hammons indicates that the defective design of her transvaginal mesh device caused scar tissue to develop and resulted in the mesh eroding into her bladder, which caused her severe pain. As a result of complications from the surgical mesh, Hammons required multiple surgeries to repair the damage caused by the implant, and has been left with permanent injuries.

Transvaginal Mesh Lawsuits

Hammons’ lawsuit joins a growing number of cases brought over side effects of transvaginal mesh, and all vaginal mesh complaints pending in the federal court system have been centralized before U.S. District Judge Joseph Goodwin in the Southern District of West Virginia, for coordinated pretrial proceedings as part of a multidistrict litigation (MDL). All of the surgical mesh complaints involve similar allegations that the makers of the medical devices failed to provide adequate warnings to consumers and the medical community about the potential for transvaginal mesh to cause serious side effects in users.

An Experienced TVM Lawyer Can Help

In addition to mesh erosion, which is one of the mesh complications Patria Hammons experienced, transvaginal mesh has been linked to a number of devastating side effects like infection injuries, pain during intercourse, recurrence of POP or SUI, nerve damage, chronic pain and the need for additional surgeries to remove the mesh. If you received a vaginal mesh implant in the past, and you have since suffered one or more major mesh complications, contact an experienced product liability lawyer today for legal help. You may be entitled to compensation for your injuries, which you can pursue by filing a vaginal mesh lawsuit against the allegedly negligent mesh manufacturing company.

There is no risk to you in consulting one of our lawyers today. Contact Monroe Law Group now by phone at 619-777-1234 or by email at intake@monroelawgroup.com to arrange for your free, no-obligation consultation.