September 8, 2014 — $3.27 million has been awarded to a woman who was injured by the TVT Obturator (TVT-O), a bladder sling manufactured by Johnson & Johnson’s Ethicon unit.
According to Reuters, the federal jury in West Virginia deliberated for just three hours before deciding to award compensatory damages. They agreed that Ethicon sold a defective medical device and also failed to provide adequate warnings about its risks.
The plaintiff, Jo Huskey, was implanted with the TVT-O to treat stress urinary incontinence in 2011. She filed her lawsuit in 2012, alleging that the device caused her to suffer from pelvic pain and other severe side effects.
Law360.com reports that attorneys for Ethicon have vowed to appeal the judgement because they say the TVT-O is not defective.
Ethicon is currently facing about 33,000 lawsuits involving their vaginal mesh products, many of which have been taken off the market.
The loss is also the latest in a string of multi-million dollar jury verdicts against Ethicon in recent years. The largest award, $11.1 million, was granted to Linda Gross last year by a jury in state court in New Jersey. Earlier this year, a jury in Texas awarded $1.2 million to a woman who was injured by the TVT-O. Ethicon faces another trial in December.
The Gynecare TVT Obturator (TVT-O) is a mid-urethral bladder sling that is used to treat stress urinary incontinence. It is designed to be implanted in the center of the pelvis, where it acts like a “hammock” to support a sagging urethra. This helps prevent small amounts of urine from leaking from the bladder.
Do I have a TVT-O Bladder Sling Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting TVT-O bladder sling induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been injured by vaginal mesh, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Defective Medical Device Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
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