First J&J Vaginal Mesh Implant Trial Begins in New Jersey
The first trial over Johnson & Johnson’s Gynecare Prolift vaginal mesh device has begun in New Jersey. The lawsuit was brought by a South Dakota woman who claims that she is in constant pain due to the failed transvaginal mesh and that she had to undergo 18 subsequent surgeries to repair damage caused by the Gynecare Prolift.
This is the first of some 1,800 lawsuits filed in New Jersey state court to go to trial. The 47-year-old plaintiff alleges that J&J’s Ethicon unit inadequately tested the device and failed to warn about the risks of the vaginal mesh product.
According to The Washington Post, the woman’s attorney said in court papers filed in Atlantic City that, “she can no longer sit comfortably for more than a few minutes without having to either stand up or lay down to try to reduce the level of pain. She requires various daily medications to treat her severe chronic pain.”
In her opening statement, an attorney for J&J denied the woman’s allegations that the company had not properly warned of the risks of implanting the device.
In court testimony, a project leader for the development of the vaginal mesh device admitted that a prototype of the vaginal mesh implant had failed in at least 20 percent of women within six months — before the device was even sold in 2005. He testified that the company knew that 27 percent of the devices that eventually became the Gynecare Prolift had failed within a year.
In August of 2011, J&J stopped selling four of its mesh devices in the U.S. — which included the Prolift. The company claimed that they pulled the devices because of their commercial viability and not due to safety concerns.
If you are suffering from chronic pain or have sustained an injury due to a vaginal mesh device, you may be entitled to compensation for damages. Call the vaginal mesh injury attorneys at Farah & Farah at (800) 533-3555 or contact us online to find out what your legal options are. Our experienced and knowledgeable legal team is standing ready to fight for your legal rights.
