The lawsuits involving transvaginal mesh will be moving forward with trial dates to start as soon as February 2013. Four of the six federal transvaginal mesh multidistrict litigations have been assigned trial dates for next year. These trial dates signify another milestone for the transvaginal mesh lawsuits.
The trial cases in re: C.R. Bard, Inc., Pelvic Repair Systems Products Liability Litigation (MDL No. 2187) will begin on February 5, 2013 according to the status conference report. It will be the first bellwether trial date for the allegedly defective implants sold by C.R. Bard. Bard sells the widely used, Avaulta System, as well as a number of other women’s pelvic repair products.
The next set of trials will begin on December 3, 2013 for American Medical Systems, Inc., Ethicon, Inc., and Boston Scientific Corp. In these early “bellwether” trials, certain plaintiffs in the MDL are selected to have their cases tried before a jury. Because the plaintiffs’ cases involve common factual and legal issues, the trial can reveal evidence, trends or patterns in the litigation, or act as a guide for later trials involving the same or similar allegations. The outcomes of these trials may help facilitate an eventual transvaginal mesh settlement agreement between the parties.
“Assigning dates to these trials is another big step towards helping all of the women injured by these dangerous devices,” says Darren Miller, principal of D. Miller & Associates, which represents transvaginal mesh patients. Scheduling and preparation for the trials will begin shortly and the small group of lawsuits that will be included in these early trials must be submitted within the next 3 weeks. Women who have suffered serious side effects related to their transvaginal mesh should contact D. Miller & Associates, P.L.L.C. today to ensure they will receive compensation for their injuries.