In a recent pretrial order, the Honorable Joseph R. Goodwin of the Southern District of West Virginia has set a joint status conference for June 2nd of this year. The conference has ordered some of the largest manufacturers of transvaginal mesh and bladder sling plastic devices to appear before Judge Goodwin. The list of manufacturers named include American Medical Systems (AMS), CR Bard, Boston Scientific, Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiary Ethicon. Neomedic has been the only company to not be called to appear.
Plaintiffs and their lawyers hope that this recent move will push manufacturers of transvaginal mesh devices to try and settle their respective cases before June. According to court records, Judge Goodwin is currently over seeing more than 70,000 mesh-related cases. As the number of lawsuits increase, it’s important that these current cases be settled quickly. Otherwise, many of them will be remanded and sent back to their federal districts for individuals trials, a process that will continue to flood the court system.
For the women who are suffering from pain after having had a transvaginal mesh device implanted, this means waiting even longer for compensation for their pain and suffering. These devices originally came under fire because of the numerous negative side effects that they developed as a result of these devices. Some of the unfortunate side effects that women experience include internal injuries, urinary problems and pain. Many women have had to undergo costly and painful revision surgery to address these issues. Hopefully this most recent move will speed along current cases so that plaintiffs who have been hurt by a mesh device can find some recompense.
Legal Commentary
The complications caused by these devices have left many women to suffer with horrid recoveries, large medical bills, lost wages, and ongoing pain. From a civil standpoint, our firm has represented numerous families who are the victims of the complications from the transvaginal mesh device. If you or a loved one has experienced any of these problems because of an implanted or removed Mentor transvaginal mesh or sling, we encourage you to consult with one of our transvaginal mesh attorneys as soon as possible. A successful civil claim pursued against the responsible party will help compensate the victims for the costly medical expenses, and hopefully for their pain, suffering, and lost wages for time missed from work. Further questions can be directed to the Fears | Nachawati Law Firm by emailing the lead TV Mesh lawyer, Majed Nachawati at mn@fnlawfirm.com, or by calling our office at 1.866.705.7584.