75 more transvaginal mesh lawsuits have reportedly been settled by C.R. Bard, Inc. The lawsuits were part of a federal multidistrict litigation that is underway in a federal court in West Virginia. The agreement for the settlement however remains confidential just as with the other previous settlements.
Dangers of Transvaginal Mesh
C.R. Bard, Inc manufactured transvaginal mesh that was used for the treatment of stress urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse in women. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued warnings against the use of transvaginal mesh devices in 2008. This followed the reporting of over 1,000 serious injuries caused by the mesh in a period of three years. In addition to this, more than 2,800 reports of adverse effects were reported to the FDA by July 2011.
The FDA issued an alert on the use of these devices in 2011 citing the adverse effects and the fact that the repair using the devices was not considered more effective than the traditional repair that used no mesh.
In 2016, new rules were issued by the FDA that made the implants ineligible for clearance under the agency’s 510K.
Lawsuits and settlements
There are more than 5,700 lawsuits that have been filed in US District Court against C.R. Bard, Inc. These lawsuits have been consolidated in a multidistrict litigation that has been filed in the US District Court of Western Virginia.
The litigation is not only against C.R. Bard Inc, but also against other pelvic mesh manufacturers including Ethicon, Inc, American Medical Systems, Inc, Cook Medical, Inc, Coloplast Corp and Boston Scientific Corp.
The presiding judge, Judge Joseph R, Goodwin, is reported to have dismissed 75 lawsuits against C.R. Bard. According to court records, the cases were dismissed as a result of having been compromised and settled. However, the amount for which these cases were settled remains undisclosed.
This is the latest settlement in lawsuits against C.R. Bard. In April 2017, 149 cases were also dismissed by the same court citing them as being compromised and settled. The amount that these cases were settled for also remains undisclosed.
It is estimated that the company has spent more than $200 million in order to resolve 3,000 similar lawsuits against it. Plaintiffs have been reported to have received approximately $67,000 each. Another group that had their cases settled last year received $43,000 each.
If you or someone you know has suffered the side effects of transvaginal mesh, please contact an experienced defective medical device lawyer. You may be eligible for compensation.
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