AMS Pushes for Consolidation of Vaginal Mesh Lawsuits
American Medical Systems (AMS), one of the manufacturers of transvaginal mesh implants, is seeking to have a number of lawsuits filed against the company consolidated into a multidistrict litigation in federal court. The lawsuits allege that the company's vaginal mesh systems caused serious side effects in women who received them, including scarring, severe pain, infection, blood vessel damage and other serious complications.
AMS is currently facing 85 lawsuits filed on behalf of 133 different individuals seeking compensation for injuries caused by transvaginal mesh. The cases are currently pending in 20 different federal courts. On November 23rd, AMS filed a motion to have the lawsuits consolidated for pretrial proceedings in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Minnesota. The company claims that consolidating the cases would streamline the proceedings, reduce costs and avoid conflicting rulings.
Apart from the lawsuits faced by AMS, some 600 women have filed suit against the Johnson & Johnson Company, alleging that their Ethicon Gynecare system is defective. In addition to causing severe pain and other side effects, the plaintiffs claim that Johnson & Johnson knew of the product's defects but continued to market it for sale anyway.
Vaginal mesh was first developed in 1995 to treat pelvic organ prolapse, a condition occurring in women who've experienced childbirth, significant weight gain, hysterectomy and other circumstances. The mesh is supposed to reinforce the pelvic floor muscles but it can eventually bind to the body's tissues, causing the problems alleged by the plaintiffs.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is currently reviewing the safety of vaginal mesh but as of yet, there are no plans to recall the devices. Recently, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Urogynecologic Society issued a joint recommendation urging physicians to limit the use of vaginal mesh only to those high-risk women for whom other treatment methods would be ineffective. The two organizations also recommended the creation of a national registry to track past and future recipients of vaginal mesh implants.
Prominent national law firm Nadrich & Cohen LLP is encouraging women who've received a transvaginal mesh implant to contact their Injury Hotline at 1-800-722-0765 immediately. The firm is currently investigating claims from women in all 50 states who say they've been injured by a vaginal mesh device.
The firm has also established a new online vaginal mesh resource center to provide the latest news, updates and information to women who have experienced serious side effects after receiving a vaginal mesh implant.
AMS is currently facing 85 lawsuits filed on behalf of 133 different individuals seeking compensation for injuries caused by transvaginal mesh. The cases are currently pending in 20 different federal courts. On November 23rd, AMS filed a motion to have the lawsuits consolidated for pretrial proceedings in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Minnesota. The company claims that consolidating the cases would streamline the proceedings, reduce costs and avoid conflicting rulings.
Apart from the lawsuits faced by AMS, some 600 women have filed suit against the Johnson & Johnson Company, alleging that their Ethicon Gynecare system is defective. In addition to causing severe pain and other side effects, the plaintiffs claim that Johnson & Johnson knew of the product's defects but continued to market it for sale anyway.
Vaginal mesh was first developed in 1995 to treat pelvic organ prolapse, a condition occurring in women who've experienced childbirth, significant weight gain, hysterectomy and other circumstances. The mesh is supposed to reinforce the pelvic floor muscles but it can eventually bind to the body's tissues, causing the problems alleged by the plaintiffs.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is currently reviewing the safety of vaginal mesh but as of yet, there are no plans to recall the devices. Recently, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Urogynecologic Society issued a joint recommendation urging physicians to limit the use of vaginal mesh only to those high-risk women for whom other treatment methods would be ineffective. The two organizations also recommended the creation of a national registry to track past and future recipients of vaginal mesh implants.
Prominent national law firm Nadrich & Cohen LLP is encouraging women who've received a transvaginal mesh implant to contact their Injury Hotline at 1-800-722-0765 immediately. The firm is currently investigating claims from women in all 50 states who say they've been injured by a vaginal mesh device.
The firm has also established a new online vaginal mesh resource center to provide the latest news, updates and information to women who have experienced serious side effects after receiving a vaginal mesh implant.
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