C. R. Bard Settles 500 Pelvic Mesh Lawsuits for $21 Million

October 9, 2014 — Bloomberg reports that C.R. Bard has agreed to settle more than 500 lawsuits involving pelvic mesh for about $21 million, or an average of $43,000 per claim.

The settlements were announced as Bard prepares hundreds of cases for trial in a Multi-District Litigation (MDL) pending in federal court in West Virginia.

Bard did not disclose the amount of the settlement until now, but it was announced in July. In a regulatory filing, Bard reported paying $259 million to settle lawsuits involving vaginal mesh. About $4.2 million of that was litigation-related defense costs in connection with prepping 200 cases for trial.

As of July 2014, Bard was facing lawsuits from about 12,445 plaintiffs who were injured by the Avaulta implants. Bard has faced several trials in the last few years, but this is the first time they have agreed to a settlement.

In July 2012, a jury awarded $5.5 million to Christine Scott, a woman who was injured by the Avaulta Plus. In 2013, a federal jury hit Bard with a $2 million verdict for Donna Cisson, a woman who was also injured by the Avaulta. A similar lawsuit involving another plaintiff, Wanda Queen, was settled just before trial began in August 2013.

Bard is not the only device-maker who has come to the table in recent weeks. Endo Pharmaceuticals agreed to set aside $1.6 billion to resolve about 20,000 lawsuits involving their bladder sling implants.

In the last few years, the FDA has ordered C.R. Bard, Endo Pharmaceuticals, and other device-makers to conduct dozens of safety studies to investigate rates of organ damage, erosion, and other complications. The FDA warns that serious and sometimes permanent complications are “not rare.”

Need a Texas Vaginal Mesh Lawyer?

Collen A. Clark is a true advocate for his clients and is passionate about helping Texans that have been injured or wronged.

Collen’s amazing success in the courtroom and well known dedication to his clients has earned him the recognition of his peers as one of The Top Trial Lawyers in Texas.”

The Clark Firm has assembled a team of trial lawyers with more than 100 years experience, participation in over 600 jury trials and $260 million in verdicts and/or settlements. Please use the form below to contact our Texas vaginal mesh lawyers for a free lawsuit review.