DALLAS (PRWEB) August 03, 2014
An article that appeared in the July 13, 2014 issue of The New York Times states that a group of transvaginal mesh recipients in Texas are pressing the state’s attorney general’s office to take action against device manufacturer Johnson & Johnson, the national law firm of Baron and Budd reports. The group claims the manufacturer violated a state law prohibiting deceptive business practices because it was aware of the dangers of mesh implants, yet did not properly warn patients of those dangers.
(http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/13/us/women-want-texas-help-in-pelvic-mesh-fight.html?module=Search&mabReward=relbias%3Ar%2C{%222%22%3A%22RI%3A13%22}&_r=1)
Transvaginal mesh devices, also known as pelvic mesh devices, are used to treat conditions in women such as stress urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse. Implants have been used in order to strengthen the pelvic wall to prevent prolapse, which commonly occurs in older women and mothers. But these devices have, in many cases, eroded and caused serious pain and significant damage to organs. Many patients have had to endure several surgeries in an attempt to deal with complications that have arisen.
According to the article, the group wants Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott to take legal action against Johnson & Johnson, citing the cost to the state for subsidizing care for women who were treated in facilities funded by taxpayers. While a representative for the attorney general’s office declined to comment on the group’s effort, he did say that the office was part of a coalition of states that are considering litigation against Johnson & Johnson and other pelvic mesh manufacturers.
WFAA-TV in Dallas reported on July 8 that the attorney general’s office, in a Civil Investigation Demand (CID) document, claimed the manufacturer committed several violations in regard to the marketing, sale and distribution of transvaginal mesh products. A CID is an administrative subpoena issued when the attorney general’s office has reason to believe that a party has information relevant to an investigation. (http://www.wfaa.com/news/health/Texas-Attorney-General-Investigating-Pelvic-Mesh-266293941.html)
In addition, the television station reported that the Corporate Action Network, a group investigating whether Johnson & Johnson destroyed documents that were related to defective design of the mesh device, sent a letter to the attorney general’s office requesting it to perform its own investigation.
The Times article quoted Baron and Budd lawyer Stephen Blackburn, who represents many plaintiffs in transvaginal mesh lawsuits. According to the article, Blackburn said he was cautiously optimistic that manufacturers would pay compensation to women who have suffered health issues due to mesh complications. However, he added that those women’s personal lives had been destroyed, and that whatever compensation they received would not be enough.
“We fully support any effort that will help to hold transvaginal mesh manufacturers accountable,” said Stephen Blackburn, attorney at the national law firm of Baron and Budd. “Baron and Budd will continue to fight for the rights of women whose lives have been forever altered due to the implantation of a transvaginal mesh device.”
Baron and Budd co-founder and managing shareholder Russell Budd also serves on the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee in the transvaginal mesh litigation.
If the implantation of a transvaginal mesh device has led to you or someone you know suffering serious health complications, the national law firm of Baron and Budd may be able to help you pursue legal action. Call 1-866-472-9108 or visit our website at http://baronandbudd.com/areas-of-practice/pharmaceuticals/transvaginal-mesh-litigation/ to learn more about your potential options.
ABOUT BARON & BUDD, P.C.
The attorneys at Baron and Budd have been Protecting What’s Right for consumers for more than 35 years. Over the years, our national law firm has built a successful track record representing people who have been harmed by corporate wrongdoing. The firm’s pharmaceutical lawyers recently represented over 7,000 patients harmed by using the drug Avandia. Previously, Baron & Budd played a prominent role in litigation related to the diet drug Fen-Phen. As a result, the case settled for an amount valued at more than $1.275 billion (In Re Diet Drugs (Phentermine | Fenfluramine | Dexfenfluramine) Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 1203 (E.D. Pa.).