Trying to conclude its vaginal mesh legal woes, Endo International Plc recently announced that it has agreed to set aside $775 million to resolve the last batch of 22,000 remaining known lawsuits alleging the company’s vaginal-mesh implants eroded in some women. Tens of thousands of female patients who have been implanted with vaginal mesh products, including Endo’s, have reported tearing, organ damage, tissue infection, mesh erosion, device failure, debilitating pain and organ prolapse. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration increased regulatory restrictions on the mesh inserts after concluding in 2014 they were high-risk.
Other mesh-insert makers, including Johnson & Johnson and Boston Scientific Corp. still face thousands of claims in the U.S. and worldwide from women who blame the devices for injuring them. Over 100,000 transvaginal mesh lawsuits have been filed against various manufacturers of transvaginal mesh, not just Endo, making it one of the largest mass torts in history. The vast majority of mesh lawsuits are consolidated in West Virginia federal court through seven multi-district litigation (MDL) cases. For example, the Endo/AMS consolidated cases are In re American Medical Systems Inc. (Endo Health) Pelvic Repair Systems Products Liability Litigation, 12-md-02325, U.S. District Court, Southern District of West Virginia (Charleston). The rest are contained in state courts, including those in Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
Endo acquired device maker American Medical Systems Holdings, Inc. (AMS) in 2011. According to filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Endo’s settlement of the remaining 22,000 mesh suits means the company has now set aside more than $2.6 billion to wipe out cases over the flawed medical devices.
Borgess Law will continue to keep you updated on the status of the transvaginal mesh litigations.
How We Can Help:
If you or someone you love has suffered an injury from transvaginal mesh, you should be aware of the ongoing litigations.
Attorney Pamela A. Borgess, the founder of Borgess Law, LLC, has extensive experience with numerous national high-profile defective medical drug/device cases, including transvaginal mesh, and can discuss your legal options. For more information about the transvaginal mesh litigations or to discuss a potential claim, contact Borgess Law at (567) 455-5955 or toll-free at (844) LAW-9144. You can also contact Borgess Law by submitting an online inquiry. Borgess Law never charges for initial consultations. We welcome any questions you may have.