Medtronic Ordered to Pay $88 Million in Covidien Hernia Mesh Lawsuit Trial, Reuters Reports
Medtronic has reportedly been ordered to pay out a significant verdict over claims that its hernia mesh caused serious medical issues and led to the need for revision surgery.
Reuters reported on Tuesday that the company is on the hook for $88 million, owed to a man who said he required additional surgery after his bowel stuck to the Covidien Symbotex mesh used in his procedure.
The verdict is significant, as it was the first case among thousands of similar claims to go to trial. There are currently almost 2,500 Covidien hernia mesh lawsuits active in federal court.
Those cases have been grouped together in what is known as multidistrict litigation (MDL). This is a common legal procedure that places similar cases before one judge, allowing them to go through coordinated legal proceedings.
Early cases that advance to trial, often known as bellwether trials, help inform both sides of the strength of their arguments and can influence settlement negotiations for the wider litigation.
“An $88 million verdict in the first bellwether trial sends a powerful message,” said Whitney Di Bona, attorney and consumer safety advocate with Drugwatch. “For the thousands of people with pending cases, this outcome validates what they’ve been saying all along — that this mesh caused real harm. Verdicts like this one put significant pressure on the defendants to come to the table and offer meaningful compensation to the people who are still waiting.”
This week’s verdict is a big win for the thousands of people who have filed lawsuits.