Tens of thousands of transvaginal mesh lawsuits have been filed against the makers of transvaginal mesh devices, alleging the devices were defectively designed and not properly tested before they were released on the market. Among the companies facing transvaginal mesh litgation are C.R. Bard, American Medical Systems, Boston Scientific, Ethicon, Coloplast, Cook Medical and Neomedic.
• So far, more than 60,000 lawsuits have been filed in federal court and thousands more lawsuits have been filed in various state courts across the US.
• Lawsuits have been consolidated in the Southern District of West Virginia before Judge Goodwin. Among the consolidated lawsuits are:
• Approximately 10,000 cases involving C.R. Bard;
• Approximately 18,000 cases involving American Medical Systems;
• Approximately 14,000 cases involving Boston Scientific;
• Approximately 22,000 cases involving Ethicon;
• Approximately 1,700 cases involving Coloplast;
• Approximately 300 cases involving Cook Medical; and
• Approximately 100 cases involving Neomedic.
• American Medical Systems is the only company to offer large-scale settlements to end transvaginal mesh litigation. In 2014, Endo International Plc, owner of American Medical Systems, agreed to pay approximately $1.3 billion to resolve lawsuits. Those settlements typically involve women who have undergone one revision surgery or no revision surgeries to repair damage allegedly caused by the mesh. Women who have undergone two or more revision surgeries have not been included in the settlements so far.
• In November 2014, a jury awarded four women a total of $18.5 million in their lawsuit against Boston Scientific.
• Also in November 2014, a jury in Florida awarded four women $26.7 million in their lawsuit against Boston Scientific.
• In September 2014, a jury awarded $73.5 million to a plaintiff in her lawsuit against Boston Scientific. That award was later reduced to $34 million.
• In September 2014, a plaintiff was awarded more than $3 million in her lawsuit against Ethicon.