Ethicon Physiomesh Lawsuit

Doctors often try to repair hernias in the abdomen with mesh patches. Ethicon, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, came out with Physiomesh composite patches in 2010 for the treatment of these hernias. However, many of the hundreds of thousands of patients who were implanted with these patches ended up with another hernia, while others suffered serious injuries like bleeding, internal organ damage, obstruction of the bowels and serious infections.

The manufacturer voluntarily withdrew the product from the market in 2016 after studies found high rates of complications from these patches. While this prevents others from being injured by this medical product, it does not help the patients who were already implanted with the mesh. If doctors used this mesh to repair your hernia, contact our defective medical device lawyers for a free, no obligation legal consultation. You could be entitled to compensation for the damages you have suffered. A lawsuit will also allow you to hold the manufacturer liable for releasing a dangerous product on the market that caused injuries to consumers. Our attorneys work on a contingency fee basis so there is no charge for our services unless you are fairly compensated.

Contact Rizk Law today by calling 503.245.5677 or completing a Free Case Evaluation form.

Lawsuits About Ethicon Mesh Patches

In 2017, hundreds of Ethicon Physiomesh lawsuits were consolidated into a multidistrict litigation (MDL) in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia (MDL-2782). As of December 2018, the MDL had a total of 1,581 cases pending.

An MDL combines lawsuits with similar questions of fact involving victims who suffered a similar type of harm into a group. Since the cases are combined in a group, it helps speed up the discovery process. Discovery is the process where both sides collect evidence and other information about the case.

After discovery is finished, the judge selects some of the cases as bellwether trials. The results of these cases allow both sides to see how the rest of the cases are likely to turn out. This often leads to the defense offering a settlement instead of taking every single case in the MDL to trial.

The lawsuits in the MDL make a variety of allegations against Ethicon over its Physiomesh hernia mesh, including:

• Putting a product on the market that has manufacturing and design defects
• Keeping important safety information from patients and the medical community, including information about the risk of complications
• Failing to warn the medical community about the risk of complications from this product

The first bellwether trial in the MDL was scheduled for December 2019. The discovery process for the pool of 10 cases is scheduled to be finished by August 15, 2019.

The MDL is not the only grouping of Ethicon Physiomesh lawsuits. In August 2018, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled that it would consolidate all state-level Ethicon Physiomesh lawsuits into a multicounty litigation (MCL). The MCL was assigned to Atlantic County to be managed by Superior Court Judge Nelson C. Johnson. There were more than 20 cases in New Jersey state court before the MCL was created.

If you suffered side effects after being implanted with Ethicon Physiomesh composite mesh, contact our trusted attorneys for a free, no obligation legal consultation. We can determine your legal options and explain the types of compensation you may be entitled.

Fill out a Free Case Evaluation form or call us at 503.245.5677.

Product History

Ethicon Physiomesh composite mesh was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2010. The product was approved through the controversial 510(k) approval program. In this process, medical products are approved if the manufacturer can establish the product is substantially similar to another product that was already approved by the FDA (Ethicon proved this hernia mesh was similar to Proceed hernia patches). This means the manufacturer does not have to put the product through intensive research and testing involved in the normal approval process.

Ethicon Physiomesh is special because it was designed to offer permanent support to weakened or damaged tissue. The patch has layers of Monocryl around plastic filaments that are woven into a fabric. Monocryl is supposed to prevent the patch from sticking to internal organs and tissues. This is extremely important because the fabric inside the patch contains a substance that can severely injure patients if it sticks to any body parts.

The problem with Physiomesh is that it was created with much less of this dangerous substance than other types of hernia patches. Even though this substance is dangerous, it helps to strengthen the fabric. Less of this substance means the patches are weaker and more likely to break apart.

If the patch fails after it has been implanted, it can lead to a variety of medical problems, including:

If the patch fails, patients may need corrective surgery, which puts them at risk for bleeding, infection and other complications. Doctors may not be able to fully repair the damage and patients could have ongoing medical problems, which will be expensive to treat.

However, your medical expenses might be covered if you take legal action against the manufacturer by filing an Ethicon Physiomesh lawsuit.

The attorneys at Rizk Law have in-depth knowledge of the legal process and what it will take to obtain fair compensation. We can manage the entire legal process on your behalf to pursue the compensation you deserve.

Schedule your free legal consultation right now. Complete a Free Case Evaluation form.

Research on Dangers of Physiomesh

Many patients implanted with Ethicon Physiomesh composite mesh suffered serious side effects and complications, including a recurrence of hernias, which the product is supposed to prevent. The FDA has received hundreds of adverse event reports about these devices detailing a variety of complications and injuries, including:

Research has also helped to link this product to side effects and complications. For example, a randomized study was published in 2016 that found 20 percent of patients implanted with Ethicon Physiomesh developed hernias. This was in comparison to another group of patients implanted with Ventralight patches who did not develop hernias. The study involved 50 patients implanted with Physiomesh and another 50 implanted with Ventralight.

This study came out in the spring of 2016, while another study released in June of that year found hernias occurred more frequently with Ethicon patches, no matter what technique was used to implant this product in patients.

Just two months later, another study came out finding that Physiomesh caused patients to suffer seromas at a higher rate than two other types of hernia patches. Researchers also found that other patches were more effective in helping to support damaged tissue, which helps the hernia heal.

Contact Rizk Law today about filing an Ethicon Physiomesh lawsuit. Call 503.245.5677.

Schedule a Free Consultation to Discuss an Ethicon Physiomesh Lawsuit

Medical device manufacturers must produce safe products or provide fair warning about the dangers these products present to patients. If manufacturers do not reveal the dangers of a product, put something dangerous on the market, or do not warn patients and doctors, they can be held liable for the damages that result.

Our defective medical device lawyers can pursue the compensation you deserve through an Ethicon Physiomesh lawsuit. Your consultation with us is 100 percent free and there is no obligation for you to take legal action. Our lawyers will explain what we think is in your best interest, and we will not bill you for any of our services unless you receive compensation at the end of the legal process.

Complete a Free Case Evaluation form today or call us at 503.245.5677.