Findings from two recent JAMA Internal Medicine studies may reveal some of the causes behind hip replacement problems and similar issues with other medical implants. Researchers discovered the U.S. Food and Drug Administration doesn’t always complete proper due diligence on medical devices. Each year, millions of patients receive medical implants,... Read more »

The second bellwether case to go before trial in the Ethicon MDL was a resounding victory for the plaintiff, 52-year-old Jo Husky. A federal panel in West Virginia district court determined that Ethicon’s Gynecare TVT Obturator suffered design flaws, and ultimately caused the plaintiff’s severe injuries and complications. As such,... Read more »

A transvaginal mesh verdict in Texas has resulted in a $73 million jury award for the plaintiff. This is the largest award to date for lawsuits involving vaginal mesh devices that plaintiffs are alleging cause serious injury. The verdict ruled against mesh manufacturer Boston Scientific in this case, but numerous other... Read more »

Litigation involving transvaginal mesh complications continues to escalate in court rooms across the U.S., with more than 60,000 product liability claims pending against several manufacturers of bladder slings, pelvic mesh patches and surgical devices. The mesh implants were designed to help women treat symptoms of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and... Read more »

The presiding judge for the thousands of transvaginal mesh injury lawsuits consolidated as part of a multidistrict litigation (MDL) in the Southern District of West Virginia has taken steps to expedite upcoming trials in light of the lack of progress made toward settlements. Judge Joseph Goodwin has issued a pre-trial... Read more »

More than 18,500 Ethicon transvaginal mesh lawsuits have been centralized in multidistrict litigation No. 2327 in the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia. The coordinated proceedings are being managed by Judge Joseph Goodwin, who is overseeing a series of test cases known as “bellwether trials.” ... Read more »

According to a second quarter filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), manufacturer C.R. Bard has agreed to settle some 500 product liability lawsuits alleging painful and serious Avaulta mesh injuries. The transvaginal mesh settlements may be a positive indicator of potential agreements to come, as federal Judge... Read more »

The Honorable Carol E. Higbee recently upheld an $11.1 million vaginal mesh lawsuit verdict rendered last year in a bellwether case against Johnson and Johnson subsidiary, Ethicon. The New Jersey Superior Court judge rejected J&J’s request for a new trial for Linda Gross v. Ethicon, in which the plaintiff alleged... Read more »

Pelvic mesh manufacturer Covidien indicates it will pay $180 million in legal charges in its third quarter, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing. The charges are in relation to vaginal mesh products that two of the company’s subsidiaries supplied to manufacturers including C.R. Bard – another company... Read more »

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently announced final revisions to the guidelines for its updated medical identification database and tracking system. The final phase of the FDA’s Global Unique Device Identification Database (GUDID) was released on June 11 and provides updates for a draft of the regulatory... Read more »