In a Gynecare Prolift vaginal mesh lawsuit being heard in a New Jersey Superior court, the plaintiff, Linda Gross, was awarded $3.35 million. The trial, overseen by Judge Carol Higbee in Atlantic City, New Jersey, involves a South Dakota resident who claims to have been in severe and unmitigated pain and to have endured 18 operations to remove and repair damages caused by Ethicon’s Gynecare Prolift vaginal mesh.
Though the jury was split in their final decision in Gross’s case, according to a Bloomberg News report, they did ultimately award her the $3.35 million for lost wages, medical expenses, and pain and suffering. The verdict was read on February 25, with the next stage of the Gross trial moving on to cover the matter of punitive damages. The punitive damages, intended to penalize defendants for intentional negligence, could total $16.75 million in Gross v. Gynecare Inc.
The jury ruled that Johnson & Johnson did not sufficiently inform Gross’s doctor about the health risks associated with Ethicon’s Gynecare Prolift vaginal mesh. In reaching its verdict, the jury in Gross’s case also stated that Johnson & Johnson employed misleading advertising in promoting Ethicon’s mesh.
In the past several years, there have been mounting reports of serious injuries related to an implant of Ethicon’s vaginal mesh product. One complication with the Gynecare Prolift vaginal mesh involves the surgical mesh hardening following implantation. The hardening causes severe pain, vaginal exposure, and becomes more difficult to extract if removal is necessary. These were the health complications raised by Gross’s attorney during the trial.
In addition to these problems, women have also reported bleeding, infection, painful intercourse, and vaginal mesh erosion.
According to a Reuters report on the New Jersey case, there still remain 1,800 Gynecare Prolift vaginal mesh lawsuits in the New Jersey court. Furthermore, in a Fox News report on Gross’s case, Johnson & Johnson made a statement on February 25 that in the U.S., there are 4,000 Gynecare Prolift lawsuits pending in courts across the country. Also, in the vaginal mesh MDL in a West Virginia federal court, there are approximately 11,000 vaginal mesh cases pending against five vaginal mesh manufacturers, among them Ethicon, C.R. Bard Inc., and Boston Scientific Corp.
The verdict reached in Gross’s case comes as welcome news to those individuals who have been injured by Ethicon’s Gynecare Prolift vaginal mesh. Lawyers at Carey Danis & Lowe continue to closely watch the Gross case in New Jersey for the total awarded to Gross and her husband in punitive damages. Furthermore, following this encouraging verdict, Carey Danis & Lowe is continuing to accept Gynecare Prolift claims, and will offer individuals free legal evaluations to assist in determining if a vaginal mesh lawsuit should be filed.
For more information about how to file a Gynecare Prolift lawsuit, contact an experienced trial lawyer at Carey Danis & Lowe by calling 800.721.2519 or by submitting a Carey Danis & Lowe legal claim form.
