A state-court jury in Philadelphia concluded that TVT-Secur mesh was defectively designed and that Johnson & Johnson failed to warn about potential risks.
It is the 3rd consecutive multi-million dollar award out of Philadelphia in favor of women who were injured by vaginal mesh.
The lawsuit was filed by Peggy Engleman, 56, a New Jersey woman who had TVT-Secur mesh implanted in 2007 to treat stress urinary incontinence, a common condition that causes urine to leak when coughing or sneezing.
Engleman said the mesh failed within a month and her condition returned. The mesh eroded into her body and caused “sharp stabbing pain” and exacerbated her bladder problems, according to the lawsuit.
She had three corrective surgeries, but doctors were unable to remove the mesh from her body. She now suffers from chronic vaginal pain, pelvic floor spasms, and permanent urinary dysfunction.
The jury awarded her $2.5 million in compensation for her pain and suffering, medical expenses, and other economic damages, plus $17.5 million in punitive damages to punish Johnson & Johnson.
There are another 54,000 lawsuits pending against Johnson & Johnson in state and federal courts nationwide. The company faces three more trials in Philadelphia over the next two months.
Juries have awarded women over $35 million for vaginal mesh injuries in at least 5 jury trials since 2014, and up to $5 million has been paid in several settlements.
Johnson & Johnson voluntarily pulled four vaginal mesh implants off the market in 2015, including one TVT-Secur device. The implants were pulled off the market 6 months after the FDA ordered Johnson & Johnson and other manufacturers to conduct new safety studies.
The case is Engleman v. Ethicon, No., 05385, Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas.
Source: J&J to Pay $20 Million in Vaginal-Mesh Case as Other Trials Loom