Transvaginal Mesh Lawsuit

As of March 2025, almost all transvaginal mesh lawsuits have been settled or resolved. The original seven multidistrict litigations are closed. Judge Joseph Goodwin presided over a significant number of the more than 100,000 lawsuits. The judge has since remanded any remaining cases not included in settlements back to state courts.

People sued transvaginal mesh manufacturers to hold them accountable for defective devices and to seek financial help for medical expenses. These lawsuits can assist with the costs of surgeries needed to fix problems caused by the mesh.

People got these vaginal implants for issues like pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence. However, some devices were faulty and caused severe pain and other serious health complications. Plaintiffs claim manufacturers misled the public about their products’ safety and effectiveness.

Consequently, manufacturers removed some brands of transvaginal mesh from the market.

Injuries and Brands Named in Lawsuits

Court cases named several medical device manufacturers and products in transvaginal mesh lawsuits.

Juries have ordered these manufacturers to pay millions of dollars in verdicts. They’ve also paid billions to settle thousands of claims outside of court.

If you received a defective transvaginal mesh implant and had severe pain, organ damage, or other complications, you may file a lawsuit.

Additional complications from transvaginal mesh include bleeding, infection, organ perforation and autoimmune problems. Those who qualify need to provide medical records that show a history of complications from pelvic mesh surgery.

Many people received transvaginal mesh implants to treat pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence. Lawsuits have accused mesh manufacturers of misleading the public, the medical community and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration about the safety of transvaginal mesh products.

Companies have settled thousands of claims privately for approximately $8 billion.

A Philadelphia jury issued one of the largest transvaginal mesh verdicts to Susan McFarland for $120 million in 2019. McFarland experienced pain and constant urinary tract infections following surgery with Ethicon’s TVT-O mesh.

Another Philadelphia jury awarded Patricia Mesigian $80 million in 2019. She endured pelvic pain, inflammation and infections following Prolift mesh surgery.

A Delaware jury ordered Boston Scientific to pay Deborah Barba $100 million in 2015. Barba suffered pain and permanent damage following surgery with Pinnacle and Advantage Fit mesh devices. On appeal, a judge reduced the award to $10 million.

Individual settlements are generally kept private. Totals have reached billions for transvaginal mesh cases. However, group settlements often become public knowledge. For example, American Medical Systems settled tens of thousands of mesh claims for about $2.6 billion.

C.R. Bard settled thousands of cases for around $200 million to resolve 3,000 claims.

In 2014, American Medical Systems settled many cases for $830 million involving around 20,000 plaintiffs.

Transvaginal Mesh Lawsuits by State

Since the first transvaginal mesh verdict in 2012, plaintiffs have won at least 20 verdicts in state and federal courts. West Virginia consolidated many of these cases into MDLs. Juries in other states issued multimillion-dollar verdicts to transvaginal mesh plaintiffs.

West Virginia

By November 2022, the Southern District of West Virginia MDL resolved thousands of mesh lawsuits against American Medical, Bard Boston Scientific and Ethicon.

Before courts formed the main mesh MDL in 2012, the first transvaginal mesh MDL formed in the Southern District of West Virginia. In 2008, a judicial panel consolidated cases involving ObTape manufactured by Mentor. Between 2008 and 2017, the Mentor MDL included 862 lawsuits.

New Jersey

In 2020, a New Jersey jury ordered Johnson & Johnson’s Ethicon subsidiary to pay $15 million to Elizabeth Hyrmoc for pain, suffering and loss of conjugal affection caused by defective transvaginal mesh.

California

In July 2012, a California jury issued the first major mesh verdict to Christine Scott. The jury ordered C.R. Bard and her to pay her $5.5 million for permanent pain and damage.

Massachusetts

In March 2021, Massachusetts-based Boston Scientific agreed to pay $188.7 million to resolve lawsuits over deceptive marketing with Washington, D.C. and 47 U.S. states. Going forward, the company agreed to market its transvaginal mesh devices more accurately to consumers.

Boston Scientific also paid $73.5 million in 2014 to Martha Salazar, who endured permanent nerve damage and constant pelvic pain from defective transvaginal mesh. It was the first trial loss for the company as it faced thousands of mesh lawsuits.

Editor Lindsay Donaldson contributed to this article.