Johnson & Johnson has had its share of legal troubles recently. Gone are the days of public trust which grew when, in 1982, the company recalled millions of bottles of Tylenol due to deaths caused by tampering.
Johnson & Johnson has had its share of legal troubles recently. Gone are the days of public trust which grew when, in 1982, the company recalled millions of bottles of Tylenol due to deaths caused by tampering. Today, the public might imagine that Johnson & Johnson may tally up the cost of each death and weigh it against anticipated profits. According to Johnson & Johnson’s fourth quarter SEC filing, the financial risk from pelvic mesh is immaterial.
JOHNSON & JOHNSON SLOW TO SETTLE VAGINAL MESH CASES
Johnson & Johnson agreed to a settlement after a recent $12.5 million award by Philadelphia jury to a woman for injuries sustained from an Ethicon pelvic mesh device. Women have suffered serious injuries, such as organ and tissue damage due to erosion of the mesh inside their bodies. Some of the damages are irreparable. Johnson & Johnson is appealing the jury award.
Johnson & Johnson, the second largest manufacturer in the world, with an estimated $61 billion in annual sales, is the last mesh manufacturer to settle the pelvic mesh complaints, lagging behind American Medical Systems and C.R. Bard. There are tens of thousands of vaginal mesh cases in Multi-District court in West Virginia, as well as cases in Australia, Belgium. Canada, England, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, Scotland and Venezuela.
The Johnson family is the 46th wealthiest family in the world worth approximately $6.3 billion. The company spent $141 million defending the lawsuits.
JUST THE BEGINNING
This is the first wave of settlements and only resolves a small number of the tens of thousands of Ethicon mesh lawsuits. The average amount to settle each case is approximately 40,000 – $50,000. Some patients will get substantially more than the average, while those with fewer complications will get less. The settlement does not encompass all Ethicon products.
In order for the settlement to be approved by the court, at least 90% of the qualifying plaintiffs must agree to the settlement.
If you would like more information, contact Saunders and Walker, P.A. at (800) 748-7115.