This year, Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson filed a lawsuit against corporate giant Johnson & Johnson on behalf of Washington’s citizens regarding Johnson & Johnson’s marketing and sale of a surgical “mesh” device in that state. A copy of the lawsuit can be found at: http://agportal-s3bucket.s3.amazonaws.com/uploadedfiles/Home/News/Press_Releases/2015/Complaint%20FINAL.pdf Several other class action suits regarding mesh products in general have been consolidated across the country.
Johnson & Johnson’s surgical mesh is implanted into women that have suffered from stress urinary incontinence (SIU) and pelvic organ prolapse (POP), two serious conditions that reportedly affect a large percentage of women nationally.
Johnson & Johnson’s surgical mesh has to be surgically implanted through the vagina and permanently anchored within the urethra or above the vaginal canal depending upon the condition for which the implant is made. Numerous complications have been alleged to arise as a result of the implantation of this device, among them painful intercourse, permanent sexual dysfunction, pain while urinating, chronic pelvic pain and many other painful conditions. The main component of surgical mesh is polypropylene, a substance derived from crude oil that is also used in the manufacture of many different types of (non-surgical) consumer goods, including rug backing and automotive parts.
AG Ferguson alleges that between 2005 and 2015, Johnson & Johnson sold almost 12,000 units of this device in the State of Washington. It is alleged that Johnson & Johnson’s surgical mesh causes chronic foreign body reaction, chronic inflammation, infection and other issues, many of which lead to the necessity of having the mesh removed. However, surgical removal of these devices also present its own unique challenges; one physician described attempting to remove the mesh as “trying to remove chewing gum from hair.”
The aforementioned lawsuit focuses on Johnson & Johnson’s misrepresentations connected to the marketing and sale of the product, failure to warn about the potential dangers presented by implantation of the device and allegedly pervasive and deceptive trade practices in connection with the marketing and sale of the device.
Bayshore Funding Solutions is currently providing monetary assistance for plaintiffs in surgical mesh implant litigation. If you or a family member is seeking monetary funding while a mesh implant case is pending, do not hesitate to contact Bayshore Funding Solutions at (813) 223-6700.