A subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, Ethicon, was hit with a $120 million verdict by a Pennsylvania jury. The lawsuit arose from medical mesh device which was implanted in the plaintiff during a 2008 procedure. The plaintiff, a 68-year-old woman, argued that she suffered from chronic pelvic pain and urinary tract infections as a result of the mesh. She was required to undergo a surgery to remove the mesh. Despite efforts by doctors, the surgery to remove the mesh was unsuccessful, her attorneys stated.
The jury’s verdict includes $100 million in punitive damages. The woman’s lawyers argued Johnson & Johnson was aware of problems with the medical mesh and the product should be removed from the market. The plaintiff claims she still suffers from the incontinence issue that the device was originally meant to cure.
Johnson & Johnson released a statement that the company would appeal the jury’s verdict. Further, company attorneys argued the FDA’s review and classification of the mesh devices should be considered. The global company faces hundreds of lawsuits stemming from the commonly used pelvic mesh. This is the seventh verdict against Johnson & Johnson in pelvic mesh trials.
If you or someone you know has been injured as the result of a product, contact an attorney at Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner by calling 713-231-9360 or toll free at 1‑800-594-4884.