Hernia Mesh Lawsuit Update
Surgical mesh is a medical device used to provide support to weakened or damaged tissue. It is widely used by surgeons to treat a variety of medical conditions including hernias. However, due to defects in the design of some of these products, patients who have undergone hernia repair surgery involving a hernia mesh are experiencing a wide range of complications. If you have suffered complications due to a hernia mesh implant between 2010 and 2017, you may be eligible to receive a substantial financial settlement.
The Problem Hernia Mesh
There are a number of different brands of hernia mesh products on the market. But, the primary manufacturers of hernia mesh are as follows:
- C.R. Bard – manufacturer of the Kugel Hernia Mesh and a wide range of other hernia mesh products
- Atrium Medical Corporation – manufacturer of C-QUR
- Ethicon Inc. – manufacturer of Physiomesh
Bard represents approximately 60% of the hernia mesh market, Atrium represents 13% and Ethicon has 12%.
The hernia mesh products from these manufacturers were cleared by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) through its 510K approval process. Under this program, the FDA can clear a medical device for sale without there being any clinical proof that it is safe, as long as it is similar enough to another medical device that is on the market and has been cleared.
Surgeons started using surgical meshes to repair hernias in the 1940s. Today, there are more than 700,000 abdominal hernia surgeries performed every year in the United States, many involving the use of hernia mesh. Unfortunately, however, the FDA has received many reports of complications related to hernia repair with surgical mesh.
These complications include:
- Severe pain
- Bowel obstruction
- Sepsis
- Ingrowth
- Hernia recurrence
- Adhesion between bowel and mesh
- Organ perforation
- And more
Reports indicate that the failure rate of some hernia mesh products is as high as 20%, causing scores of patients to need revision surgery and other operations to deal with the complications caused by their hernia mesh.
Hernia Mesh Lawsuits
Defective medical device lawyers are currently filing lawsuits against the different manufacturers of hernia mesh products:
- In 2006, Bard recalled its some of its hernia mesh products and a Multi district Litigation (MDL) was created in Rhode Island.
- Atrium began mass distribution of its hernia mesh product, C-QUR, in 2010 and it was recalled in 2013. They were subsequently sued by the United States for distribution and packaging issues. An MDL involving C-QUR was formed in the December of 2016 and has been assigned to New Hampshire.
- Ethicon’s product Physiomesh, which received FDA clearance in 2010 and was recalled in May 2016. Subsequently, an MDL petition was filed in 2017 with potential venues consisting of Florida, Colorado, and Georgia.
Lawsuits alleged that these products are defective and have caused serious harm to medical patients, who are entitled to compensation for their pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, loss of income, and medical expenses.
If you have suffered complications due to a hernia mesh implant, you may be eligible for compensation if you meet the following criteria:
- You received a hernia mesh implant between 2006 and 2017
- You received a composite mesh
- You have undergone revision surgery or revision surgery is necessary
- Your hernia mesh was manufactured by Ethicon, Atrium (C-QUR), or Bard.
Contact an Experienced Defective Medical Devices Attorney
To find out if you are eligible for a hernia mesh settlement, contact an experienced defective medical device attorney. Most offer a free, no obligation, case review where they will listen to your story and get started on your case immediately.
There will be a no legal fees to pay until you receive your settlement and it will cost you no money to get started. There are, however, strict time deadlines for filing a claim, so you need to contact an attorney today.
For help locating an attorney in your area, call The Hayes Firm: Attorney Finding Service at 1-800-603-6833 or visit our contact page. We are here to help.
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