Defective Products

Lawyers and Settlements reports that numerous transvaginal mesh lawsuits are being filed, with many resulting in awards for the victims and their partners who suffer with them. According to the news article, another couple recently filed a product liability lawsuit. In that case, the woman and her husband allege that they have not been able to have sex since she was implanted with the Bard Avaulta transvaginal mesh because it is “too painful for her” and her husband could “feel the mesh.”

Bard, the maker of Avaulta transvaginal mesh implants, lost its first personal injury lawsuit when a California jury awarded $5 million to Christine Scott. She had suffered major complications due to Bard’s Avaulta Plus device including incontinence, severe pain, and inability to be intimate. Scott later required eight surgeries to remove the mesh. Her husband was awarded $500,000 for loss of consortium in that case. Read the rest »

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is set to hold a two-day meeting this week to scrutinize the safety of metal-on-metal hip implants after numerous reports from patients that these medical devices are failing earlier than expected. According to a news report in The Associated Press, the FDA has received more than 16,800 adverse event reports about metal hips between 2000 and 2011. A number of patients reported that these implants caused pain and swelling and sometimes required the removal of the devices.

For many years, almost all orthopedic implants were manufactured by plastic or ceramic. However, in the last decade or so, some surgeons viewed metal implants more favorably. Lab tests at the time suggested that these metal devices would be more resistant to wear and tear, reduce the chances of dislocation and delay the need for revision surgeries. As it turned out, the opposite occurred.

Increasing Failure Rates

In March, British experts urged doctors to stop using metal-on-metal hip replacements such as those manufactured by DePuy, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson. A careful analysis showed that 6 percent of patients with DePuy hip implants and other similar medical devices had to be replaced in less than five years compared with just 2 percent for those with ceramic or plastic joints. On August 26, 2010, DePuy Orthopaedics shocked their consumers with a defective product recall of their ASR XL Acetabular System and the ASR Hip Resurfacing System.

British regulators are recommending that those who have these metal implants get annual blood tests to ensure that no dangerous metals are seeping into their bloodstream as the components deteriorate or rub against each other. Approximately 500,000 patients have received these implants in the United States, but the FDA has released no such warnings. FDA scientists want to consider all available information before making any recommendations. During this week’s meeting, the FDA is expected to ask a panel of experts to recommend the best practices for monitoring patients with the devices. That includes blood tests, lab tests and medical imaging.

Lives Devastated

As the FDA takes its time, unsuspecting patients are suffering the consequences. One patient, 48-year-old Mary Weaver, who had both her hips replaced with Johnson & Johnson’s metal implants in 2007 and 2008, had to have these defective products removed in 2011 due to increasing pain and elevated metal levels in her blood. She not only had to endure the pain of additional surgeries and the medical expenses, but also lost her job due to the time needed to undergo these surgeries. Weaver is not alone. There are thousands of others like her.

Seeking Compensation for your Losses

If you or a loved one needs to pursue compensation from Johnson & Johnson or other companies that manufacture these and other defective medical devices, you will need an experienced California personal injury lawyer who has fought against these manufacturing giants and has a track record of holding negligent corporations accountable. The best product liability law firms always offer a free consultation and comprehensive case evaluation to injured victims and their families.

A Nebraska-based meat packer is recalling more than 40,000 pounds of ground beef products that were shipped to institutions and distributors in California and other states over food poisoning concerns. According to an Associated Press news report, the meat, produced by Tyson Fresh Meats Inc. was also shipped to 15 other states. The U.S. Department of Agriculture conducted tests on samples, which detected the presence of the deadly E. coli bacteria in the ground beef products. Other states affected by this recall include Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

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The manufacturer of a defective child seat, which caused several skull fractures and head injuries among young children, has made no effort to improve their products or make them safer, according to consumer safety advocates. A Reuters report states that despite facing several lawsuits from parents of injured children, South Africa-based Bumbo has done little to reconfigure these seats or make them safer.

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The America College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the American Urogynecologic Society have issued a joint Committee Opinion stating that there is an “urgent need” for the development of a national registry to track outcomes for all current and future patients who receive vaginal mesh implants. There have been serious concerns regarding the safety and efficacy of these synthetic mesh products that are placed vaginally to treat a condition known as pelvic organ prolapse (POP). Given the horrific side effects thousands of women are experiencing as a result of receiving these transvaginal mesh implants, these groups now recommend that use of these mesh implants should only be reserved for high-risk women “for whom the benefit may justify the risk.”

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A California food company has issued a recall for 6,141 cartons of cilantro in seven states over food poisoning concerns. According to an Associated Press news report, Salinas-based Pacific Cilantro recalled the herbs in seven states after U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) inspectors found salmonella in a sampling of the products. So far, no illnesses or fatalities have been reported. The recall has been issued in seven states including California, Arizona, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Indiana, South Carolina and Missouri, as a precaution. Those who have these products in their homes are asked to return them. The herbs were grown by Salt River Farming in the Phoenix area.

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