Pennsylvania Woman Awarded $41 Million against J&J in Vaginal Mesh Case
Pennsylvania Woman Awarded $41 Million against J&J in Vaginal Mesh Case
A Philadelphia jury has awarded 57-year-old Suzanne Emmett and her husband, Michael, a $41 million verdict in a product liability lawsuit the couple brought against medical device maker Ethicon and its parent company, Johnson & Johnson, over a vaginal mesh implant, which Emmett alleged, caused irreversible injuries. According to a news report in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Emmett said in her lawsuit that she went through surgery after surgery to get rid of the discomfort, bleeding, infections, painful sex and other horrific side effects from her vaginal mesh implant.
Punitive Damages Awarded
But, she said, the procedures could not fix what the mesh had done to her life. The $41-million verdict included $23 million in punitive damages. This is one of several multi-million dollar verdicts in recent vaginal mesh cases. J&J alone faces 37,400 lawsuits related to transvaginal mesh implants, which are used to treat pelvic organ prolapse and stress urinary incontinence.
Like many other women who have filed lawsuits, Emmett said J&J withheld information about the high failure rate of its vaginal mesh products. J&J continues to stand by its pelvic mesh products even though these medical devices are facing bans in other countries such as the United Kingdom and Australia because of dangerous side effects.
The fact that this jury awarded significant punitive damages in this case against Johnson & Johnson and its, subsidiary, Ethicon, sends out a strong message not only to those companies, but many others that market and sell these dangerous and defective products. Punitive damages are typically awarded in cases where the negligence on the part of the defendant, in this case, a medical device manufacturer, was particularly egregious.
Serious Side Effects
Our product defect lawyers have encountered a number of vaginal mesh cases where many women, just like the plaintiff, in this case, have experienced serious and debilitating side effects including but not limited to the mesh eroding into their vaginal wall, causing chronic pain, infections, bleeding and pain during sex. Many have had to quit their jobs because of the constant pain and discomfort. Patients got absolutely no relief even from repeated surgeries to remove the mesh, which disintegrates inside a woman’s body. Once implanted, it’s almost impossible to remove them completely.
If you or a loved one has been affected by these defective vaginal mesh devices, it would be in your best interest to contact an experienced product defect attorney who will fight for your rights and help you secure compensation for damages such as medical expenses, lost income, cost of surgeries, pain and suffering and emotional distress.
