According to Bloomberg, medical device manufacturer C. R. Bard has agreed to pay more than $200 million to settle over 3,000 transvaginal mesh lawsuits. The news comes from five sources close to the situation, and if true, represents a massive victory for women who suffered from the allegedly defective devices.
Transvaginal mesh implants are designed to prevent urinary incontinence and organ prolapse in women. However, several patients have reported that certain devices, such as those manufactured by Bard, are prone to failure, and can result in serious and sometimes irreversible side effects, including severe pain, organ erosion, bleeding, infection, nerve damage, and sexual dysfunction. Plaintiffs in transvaginal mesh lawsuits claim that device manufacturers like Bard released a defectively designed and inadequately tested product to the market, jeopardizing the health of patients in the pursuit of profits.
Under the new settlement, plaintiffs will receive an average payout of $67,000. As Bloomberg notes, this number is higher than the $43,000 average Bard paid out in a smaller settlement last year, but lower than some payouts from Boston Scientific and Johnson & Johnson, both of which continue to whittle away at thousands of transvaginal mesh lawsuits.
Transvaginal mesh lawsuits are not the only legal issue on Bard’s plate. The New Jersey–based company is also dealing with inferior vena cava (IVC) filter lawsuits filed by plaintiffs who claim Bard’s Recovery and G2 filters led to serious injury or death. IVC filters are small, spider-shaped implants designed to stop blood clots from gathering near vital organs, thereby reducing the risk of life-threatening events, such as stroke. Unfortunately, several studies and adverse event reports suggest these filters may be just as dangerous as the complications they are intended to prevent. Bard itself has been accused of possessing evidence of these health risks as early as 2003. Plaintiffs in Bard IVC filter lawsuits recently appeared before a judicial panel to request their cases be consolidated in a multidistrict litigation.
Talk to your doctor about any health risks a medical device may pose. If you or a loved one was injured by a faulty Bard medical device, such as a transvaginal mesh or IVC filter, contact the attorneys at Lopez McHugh for a free consultation. You may be entitled to legal damages.