Transvaginal Mesh Lawsuit Settlement News: Johnson & Johnson's Ethicon Division on the Hot Seat Early in Bellwether Trial

Vaginal Mesh Manufacturer grilled as to what they knew regarding safety concerns as first "Bellwether" trial against the Gynecare Prolift System starts in New Jersey.

News provided by

Legal-Bay LLC

Jan 15, 2013, 05:00 ET

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J., Jan. 15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Plaintiff's lawyers wasted no time to begin grilling J & J and Ethicon's representatives immediately involving the much anticipated product liability lawsuit involving transvaginal mesh last week in New Jersey. After opening arguments in the case of: Linda Gross v. Ethicon, et al, the trial began to focus on Ethicon's liability and what they did or didn't know regarding safety of the mesh product.

Ms. Gross a victim of the Gynecare Prolift System was forced to have 18 corrective surgeries to fix the defective product, and still lives in pain and suffering. The trial represents a potential gauge of what the other 1900 cases filed in Atlantic City may be worth. If history repeats itself, the jury award could be astronomical for Ms. Gross.

In another related case in Bakersfield, CA a husband and wife won a jury award of $5.5mm against C.R. Bard's transvaginal mesh product. This jury verdict was a possible windfall for all transvaginal mesh and bladder sling victims regardless of the product or manufacturer that they are suing.

"The New Jersey case could set the bar very high, as everyone is looking for confirmation of the value of these cases after the first verdict in California. It looks as if the plaintiff's attorneys are trying to not only prove that the mesh was defective, but that Ethicon knew of the dangers – which could lead to a multiple million dollar award if successful", commented a legal expert close to the litigation who asked not to be named. "Obviously, if each manufacturer starts to see these large awards, they will be interested in trying to settle the cases up as quickly as possible and at reasonable mesh settlement value."

Legal-Bay says with the size of all the transvaginal mesh lawsuits out there, that they believe this Mass Tort litigation could top Vioxx in the $5Bil. range. A Bloomberg Report indicated that approximately 70K devices were implanted annually, which leaves a huge "class action" of people out there. Many of these people have already filed suit, however many more are still looking for lawyers to join the litigation now that the trials are in the news media.

Legal-Bay is a plaintiff advocate firm who assists transvaginal mesh victims with various funding and legal services. Legal-Bay has been assisting clients who have filed claims with obtaining pre-settlement funding to help with cash needs for plaintiffs who cannot wait for their case to settle. Legal-Bay also has been assisting victims who don't have health insurance with obtaining surgical funding so that they can get the needed mesh corrective surgery to live healthy again and obtain the proper case value. Lastly, Legal-Bay has been actively helping victims with obtaining a law firm if they haven't hired one yet. Although the time to file a claim is coming to an end, it is still not too late in most cases, says Legal-Bay.

Patty Kirby, Head of Client Relations at Legal-Bay commented, "We have been dedicated to assisting the many women of transvaginal mesh defects. Our sales team is fully equipped to assist in any manner possible. We get calls every day from women who are confused whether they still have a claim and we have been able to refer them to a lawyer who can assess them quickly. And obviously, we remain in a strong capital position to continue to fund up to $50K for transvaginal mesh lawsuit cash advances as well as the much needed mesh surgery funding." Legal-Bay's settlement funding program is not a lawsuit loan, and the funds only need to be paid back if, and when, you receive your ultimate settlement award.

If you have questions about the transvaginal mesh litigation, feel free to inquire with Legal-Bay 24 hours a day online at: lawsuitssettlementfunding.com or call their toll free hotline at: 877.571.0405. Experienced agents can assist you with a free quote for lawsuit funding, surgical funding or with a free transvaginal mesh attorney referral if you do not have an attorney yet.