Cresskill, NJ: Settlement talks are going on “behind the scenes” to resolve some 30,000 federal transvaginal mesh lawsuits, according to the overseeing U.S. District Judge. Companies involved in the negotiations are C.R. Bard, Inc.; American Medical Systems, Inc.; Ethicon, Inc.; Endo Health Solutions, Inc. (ENDP); Boston Scientific Corp. (BSX); Coloplast Corp.; and Cook Medical, Inc. Johnson & Johnson is not participating. The ongoing talks are a positive sign that a settlement may soon be offered to women who suffered catastrophic side effects from defective transvaginal mesh inserts.
For plaintiffs’ attorneys litigating major MDLs, there are frequently post-settlement payment delays. To combat this potential cash flow dilemma, RD Legal Funding, LLC (“RD Legal”) is offering accelerated post-settlement financing to plaintiffs’ attorneys who have yet to receive any compensation but have finalized settlements in place.
Chief Judge Joseph R. Goodwin, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, is managing nearly 23,000 transvaginal mesh federal cases. Lawyers representing the litigating women have asked the judge to create a settlement committee including attorneys Gerard Rice, Bryan Aylstock, and Clayton Clark. Settlement talks are complicated because the companies produced over 50 transvaginal mesh products, some of which have been removed from the market while others are still being sold. As more women injured by transvaginal mesh implants come forward, the companies could be facing as many as 50,000 suits and a multibillion-dollar settlement.
Gynecologists implant mesh vaginally to repair Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP) and Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI). POP generally develops in older women whose uterus, bladder, and pelvic muscles have become stretched and weakened. SUI — when urine leaks during coughing, laughing, exercising, or other activities — typically occurs after childbirth or during pregnancy. Manufacturers ignored problems with the mesh which were published in scientific journals as early as 2005. In 2012, the FDA ordered the companies to make three-year studies of rates of organ damage, infection, and painful sex linked to the vaginal mesh.
Companies involved in transvaginal mesh litigation include:
For attorneys who have expended considerable time and expenses on the transvaginal mesh cases without receiving any compensation, post-settlement funding can be especially helpful. As soon as settlement amounts are finalized, the plaintiffs’ attorneys are urged contact Joseph Genovesi, President of RD Legal, by phone at 1-800-565-5177, ext. 140. For those ready to begin the application process, please fill out the quick form at the top of this page. RD Legal, which was founded in 1998, is now one of the nation's leading providers of post-settlement funding for attorneys.
