The federal judge overseeing all transvaginal mesh litigation has denied C.R. Bard’s motion to delay bellwether trials, also known as test trials, scheduled for next month. C.R. Bard, a defendant in more than 12,000 cases brought by women who received defective Avaulta pelvic mesh implants, had filed a motion to continue the bellwether trials and suspend all other trials based on what it claimed were improper comments by the trial judge, U.S. District Judge Joseph Goodwin. Judge Goodwin denied the motion, stating that C.R. Bard had not showed good cause for delaying the trials any further.
Bard claimed that Judge Goodwin’s statements at a status conference in December were prejudicial. At the status conference, the transcript of which was later reported by Bloomberg and other new outlets, Judge Goodwin observed that the corporation faced “potentially billions of dollars in verdicts” as he pressed both parties to settle. Bard argued that the judge’s statement both tainted the potential jury pool, and showed that Judge Goodwin had pre-determined its liability in the cases.
Judge Goodwin oversees each of the pelvic mesh Multi District Litigations consolidated in West Virginia. The other mesh defendants are American Medical Systems, Inc., Boston Scientific Corp., Coloplast Corp., Cook Medical, Inc., Ethicon, Inc., and Neomedic. Transvaginal mesh implants manufactured by each of these companies have resulted in injuries when implanted in women to treat pelvic organ prolapse (POP) or stress urinary incontinence (SUI).
Thornton Law Firm represents women who have received pelvic mesh implants and suffered the complications of mesh failure including abdominal pain, chronic vaginal discharge, infection, bleeding, bladder obstruction, incontinence, pain during intercourse, mesh erosion, and even organ perforation and death. If you have experienced any of these symptoms you should contact your doctor immediately. If your mesh implant has resulted in complications, you may be eligible for compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more. To find out more, contact the Thornton Law Firm’s transvaginal mesh attorneys at our toll free number 888-341-1405 or tell us your story here for a free, completely confidential evaluation of your legal rights. All legal claims have short time limits, so do not delay seeking legal advice.
