A Pennsylvania jury awarded a New Jersey woman $20 million for injuries she suffered after receiving a pelvic mesh implant made by Ethicon, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson.
Following a three-week trial in Philadelphia Common Pleas Court, Peggy Engleman of Cinnaminson, New Jersey, was awarded $2.5 million compensatory damages and $17.5 million in punitive damages.
Martin P. Schrama and Stefanie Colella-Walsh, both partners with Stark & Stark, filed the complaint on behalf of Ms. Engleman in 2013 and worked with a team of attorneys on the case.
The suit claimed that a TVT-Secur device manufactured by Ethicon, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, was defective and the companies failed to warn users of the risks. Ms. Engleman had the device implanted in 2007 to relieve stress urinary incontinence, but said the device failed shortly thereafter. She began to experience pain and discomfort as the mesh started to erode inside her body and underwent multiple surgeries. Physicians were unable to remove all the shards of mesh in her abdomen.
“Through this stunning verdict, the jury has unequivocally shown that Johnson & Johnson will have to pay a high price if their products are defective and harmful as well as their marketing practices unethical,” said Mr. Schrama.
Ms. Colella-Walsh added, “We are proud to bring justice for Peggy Engleman, who suffered incredible anguish and suffering, and hope to win additional verdicts for others experiencing unexpected consequences as a result of pelvic mesh implant failure.”
There are still 183 cases pending in the pelvic mesh implant litigation. The next case scheduled to go on trial May 22. Two earlier verdicts in Philadelphia resulted in awards of $12.5 million and $13.5 million. Johnson & Johnson also faces tens of thousands of additional lawsuits around the country regarding pelvic mesh implants.
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NOTE: Any information about verdicts or settlements obtained are based on the unique facts of each case. Although these results were obtained by our firm, they may not indicate the probability of success or implied value of any other case. This amount reflects the gross recovery in the case (before attorneys’ fees and expenses).
