Earlier this month, a federal judge denied the request of a transvaginal mesh manufacturer to have punitive damages against them reduced. C.R. Bard faces punitive damages of $1.75 million for knowing of dangers associated with their mesh product, but failing to address those dangers.
The health conditions known as Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP) and Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI) are commonly treated with transvaginal mesh devices. In recent years, many of the makers of these devices have come under fire as women implanted with the devices claim severe complications, such as mesh erosion and migration.
Medical manufacturer C.R. Bard is the maker of the vaginal mesh known as Avaulta Plus. It turns out Bard was using a certain type of polypropylene resin to make the mesh and that this polypropylene resin was known to cause serious problems when implanted in someone in a permanent manner. The maker of the resin, Phillips, warned C.R. Bard that using the polypropylene resin in their device could increase the risk of erosion, infection, scar tissue formation, and that the resin could unravel and create sharp “arms” within the body. Phillips refused to sell the resin to Bard, and yet Bard was able to purchase it through a third party and continued to use it in the manufacture of Avaulta Plus.
If you or a loved one has suffered a serious complication because of defective and dangerous transvaginal mesh, please call McWhirter, Bellinger & Associates for a free consultation at (888) 353-5513. Our experienced South Carolina product liability lawyers serve Columbia, Lexington, Orangeburg, Newberry, Camden, Sumter, Aiken and the surrounding areas.
