Philadelphia personal injury lawyers learned that a jury awarded damages in the amount of $3.35 million to a woman who suffered from severe pain resulting from vaginal mesh implant used during her surgery. The woman underwent 18 repair surgeries, but they were unsuccessful. According to the woman’s attorney, pain and other complications caused by the defective implant forced the former nurse out of her job after her surgery in 2006.
Vaginal mesh implants, including Johnson and Johnson’s Prolift, were used in to assist women who suffer from pelvic organ prolapse, a condition in which weakened muscles fail to support internal organs. The mesh can also be used to treat incontinence. Mesh implants are made of a porous synthetic or biologic material. They are implanted and tied to ligaments or bone to serve as a sort of sling to lift and support the organ involved. The mesh devices have been used in surgeries with hundreds of thousands of women. Many of the women have reported difficulties, such as severe pain, infections and bleeding associated with the mesh and have required additional surgeries to fix those problems.
Personal Injury Lawyers Say Thousands of Lawsuits are Pending Related to Injuries Caused by Vaginal Mesh Implants
There are about 4,000 lawsuits pending against Johnson & Johnson resulting from defective vaginal mesh implants. Johnson and Johnson began marketing their Prolift vaginal mesh implant device in March 2005. The company did not seek Food and Drug Administration approval until 2007 when they sought approval for a related product. Neither device was approved for use until May 2008. At that time, the FDA had already received 123 complaints of serious injuries as a result of use of the Prolift vaginal mesh.
Last July, the FDA reported that deaths, injuries or malfunctions related to vaginal mesh for prolapsed organs had increased five times over. Following the report, an advisory panel urged the FDA to reclassify vaginal mesh as “high-risk” devices that require human testing. Johnson and Johnson and other manufacturers of the mesh devices have since been ordered to study organ damage and complications related to the products.
New Jersey and Philadelphia Personal Injury Lawyers
The Philadelphia personal injury lawyers at Messa & Associates are experienced at handling cases involving pharmaceutical and drug product injuries. Our extremely skilled team of personal injury lawyers and medical experts is dedicated to ensuring you receive proper compensation for your personal injuries. If you have suffered an injury as a result of a vaginal mesh implant, a defective pharmaceutical drug product, or any other type of personal injury, contact the personal injury lawyers of Messa & Associates for a free consultation. Call toll free at 1-877-MessaLaw, or submit a free online inquiry.
