Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers is representing those who have been injured by multifilament hernia mesh products manufactured by Covidien, including Parietex hernia mesh products. We are filing hernia mesh lawsuits and helping victims recover compensation for medical bills, lost wages, pain, suffering and more.
If you have experienced hernia mesh complications, such as needing revision surgery, rest assured that we have the experience and resources to recover justice and the maximum possible compensation for you. Our hernia mesh lawyers have been handling defective medical device cases since 1990 and have recovered hundreds of millions of dollars on behalf of clients.
We will represent you in hernia mesh litigation on a contingency fee basis, which means that we will not charge you any fee until and unless we recover compensation on your behalf. You won’t owe us any upfront fees or out-of-pocket fees for us to handle your hernia mesh claim. The only fee we’ll charge is a percentage of any compensation we recover to compensate you for your complications.
Call us today for a free consultation, text us from this page or fill out this page’s free case evaluation form if you or a loved one was injured or killed by complications stemming from a multifilament hernia mesh implant manufactured by Covidien.
Compensation Available in Hernia Mesh Lawsuits
Those who have experienced complications after receiving hernia mesh implants are eligible for financial compensation for any damages they suffered due to the devices. This is because the law holds that those who are injured by defective products like Covidien’s multifilament hernia mesh products are eligible for compensation for damages caused by the defective products.
If you experienced complications after hernia mesh surgery, you may qualify for financial compensation for:
Medical Bills
If you experienced medical complications after hernia repair surgery, you are probably already facing medical bills. In addition, your surgical mesh complications may cause you to need future treatment, which means yet more medical expenses. We can help you obtain compensation from hernia mesh manufacturers for any medical bills related to your complications.
Lost Wages
You might have had to miss time from work because your complications left you too injured to work. You might have also had to take time off from work to have your complications treated. We help those injured by defective hernia mesh devices recover compensation for any wages they’re unable to earn due to their complications, whether that compensation comes as part of a hernia mesh settlement or as an award in a hernia mesh trial.
Loss of Earning Capacity
When we handle hernia mesh cases, we help those who suffer complications recover compensation for any loss or reduction of earning capacity they suffer as a result of becoming disabled due to their complications.
Pain and Suffering
Hernia mesh complications are known to be physically painful at times, and those who go through them often also end up going through mental suffering. A hernia mesh lawyer at our firm can place an accurate value on the pain and suffering you’ve gone through and make sure you’re fairly and justly compensated for your pain and suffering.
Wrongful Death
If you lost a loved one due to hernia mesh complications, it is unfortunate that no amount of compensation will be able to bring your loved one back. However, by recovering financial compensation for you, we can help ensure your family doesn’t have to go through financial hardship due to the loss of your loved one.
We can file a wrongful death lawsuit on your behalf seeking financial compensation for:
- Losing your loved one’s income, spousal benefits, companionship, love and household services
- Burial costs
- Funeral costs
- Your loved one’s medical bills, pain and suffering
- The grieving and suffering you’ve had to go through
Hernia Mesh Complications
Covidien hernia mesh products may cause complications including but not limited to:
Chronic Pain
One common complication seen after hernia mesh surgeries is chronic pain. This complication can impact the life of the patient on a long-term basis.
The discomfort may range from mild to moderate, or from severe to debilitating. Many patients end up living with low-level, ongoing aches in their abdominal area. Other patients end up experiencing sharp pain when they try to lift heavy objects or move around. Patients have also reported itching and burning sensations near implantation sites.
This can not only lead to severe physical suffering, but mental anguish, anxiety and depression if not treated over a long period of time.
Infection
It is common for infections to occur after hernia mesh surgeries, and these infections can lead to additional complications if not treated promptly.
Sometimes, infections can manifest as localized swelling or redness around the site of the surgery. Other times, infections may cause chills and fever.
In addition, if the implant has bacteria on it when it is implanted, infection may spread throughout the human body (sepsis). This may lead to the necessity of hospitalization as well as antibiotic therapy in order to kill bacteria.
Mesh Erosion
Erosion of the hernia mesh is a complication which is potentially serious. This occurs when implants gradually break down and erode through tissue, causing inflammation and pain and possibly leading to complications like infection.
Erosion of hernia meshes is often the result of improper mesh placement or incompatible or defective mesh implants.
Mesh erosion symptoms include:
- Pain
- Redness
- Tenderness
- Vomiting
- Nausea
- Fever
- Swelling
Sometimes, hernia meshes can erode through skin, causing open wounds which require treatment.
Mesh Migration
Mesh migration is when the mesh moves from its intended location. This can happen quickly or over time.
Mechanical migration occurs when the mesh isn’t adequately secured to the tissue around it. This typically happens sooner than later after a surgery.
Secondary migration occurs when the mesh implant causes inflammation, leading to the body creating granulation tissue around the implant. When the body creates granulation tissue, it stimulates mesh erosion – the mesh begins to migrate after shrinking. Secondary migration happens slowly, over a period of months or even years.
Mesh migration can cause numerous complications, including:
- Bleeding
- Chronic pain
- Hernia recurrence
- Fistula formation
- Infection
Scarring and Adhesion
Scarring and adhesion are unfortunately common after hernia mesh surgery and can cause discomfort, pain and issues with mobility.
Adhesions form when fibrous tissue strands start sticking together near the site of the surgery. These bands of tissue might even attach nearby muscles or organs to each other, leading to swelling and inflammation which may require surgery to correct.
Nerve Injury
Hernia mesh implants may cause nerve injury via indirect or direct trauma.
Direct trauma happens when implants physically damage surrounding nerves because of their shape, size or placement in the body. Indirect trauma happens when inflammation or swelling occurs due to infection.
Trauma to nerves can result in severe pain, in addition to tingling and numbness. If not properly and quickly addressed, long-term issues like paralysis or muscle weakness can arise.
Organ Damage
Organ damage can happen when bodies attempt to reject implants, or because of infections caused by hernia mesh surgery. This may cause scarring, inflammation and possible malfunctioning or injury in organs near the implant location.
Sometimes, when hernia mesh complications cause significant organ damage, open abdominal surgeries are required.
Why Is Covidien Being Sued?
Lawsuits are being filed alleging that multifilament hernia mesh products made by Covidien, including Parietex hernia mesh products, have defective designs, and that patients have been injured due to the defective designs.
Covidien’s multifilament hernia mesh products are made from polyester, which many consider to be inferior to polypropylene for use in hernia mesh products. Polyester meshes degrade just as much or even more than polypropylene meshes after being implanted, and polyester meshes are extremely susceptible to causing infections.
There are two types of polyester hernia meshes: monofilament and multifilament. While monofilament polyester meshes are already considered by many to be inferior to polypropylene meshes, multifilament polyester meshes are associated with an even higher rate of infection than monofilament meshes.
Lawsuits allege that Covidien’s multifilament hernia mesh products are defective by design by virtue of being made from multifilament polyester, as reasonable, safer alternatives exist in the form of monofilament polyester meshes and polypropylene meshes.
Do I Qualify to File a Lawsuit?
You qualify to file a lawsuit if:
- You had implanted inside of you a Covidien multifilament hernia mesh product such as a Parietex hernia mesh product
- You developed serious complications after the device was implanted
If you are unsure as to whether you qualify to file a lawsuit, call us today for a free consultation.
Why File a Hernia Mesh Lawsuit?
Medical devices such as hernia meshes can help make sure people stay healthy and safe while they deal with injuries or illnesses. However, medical devices like hernia mesh products can be extremely dangerous when defective or used improperly.
Defective hernia mesh products can:
- Worsen existing conditions
- Cause health complications
- Lead to death or permanent disability
If you have been harmed by a hernia mesh implant, you may not be to blame. Device manufacturers are duty-bound to make sure their products aren’t defective. When they fail in this duty, innocent patients like yourself may suffer because of their errors. Worse yet, you might need to pay costly medical bills as a result of the harm which is their fault.
The only way to hold Covidien accountable for harming you is to take legal action. By filing a lawsuit, you may be able to recover financial compensation from Covidien which can help you cover your medical treatment costs.
Is There a Hernia Mesh Class Action Lawsuit?
To our knowledge, there is no Covidien hernia mesh class action lawsuit. What there is, rather, is a multidistrict litigation (MDL) in which numerous individual Covidien hernia mesh lawsuits are consolidated. This MDL is a mass tort lawsuit, where multiple individual lawsuits are filed against a common defendant.
The difference between a class action lawsuit and a mass tort is explained here.
We are filing individual lawsuits on behalf of those injured by Covidien hernia mesh products because victims will be able to recover more compensation through individual lawsuits than they would through a class action lawsuit.
Call us today for a free consultation so we can file an individual lawsuit on your behalf, seeking to recover the most compensation possible for you.
What You Should Know Before Filing a Lawsuit
- Find the type and manufacturer of your hernia mesh implant: This is vital information for your lawsuit. It will end up determining where your lawsuit is filed. You need to know if other patients are filing similar lawsuits, and if your mesh has been recalled. This information can typically be found in hospital records.
- Know dates regarding past and future surgeries: This information should be found in your medical records. It may be useful to obtain copies of documentation which is available, such as medical bills and consent forms.
- Confirm you qualify: Things that can affect your legal rights including when your surgery occurred and the location you live in. Consulting with one of our lawyers will answer any questions you have. Our initial consultations are free.
- Check the relevant statute of limitations: Hernia mesh cases are product liability cases. Rules regarding these cases are different based on what state you live in. You can be forever barred from recovering compensation if you miss this deadline. As an example, in California, you have two years from the date you became aware a product injured you to file a lawsuit – in Kentucky you only have one year.
Covidien Mesh Lawsuit Update
September 10, 2024 Update
A Florida man has filed a lawsuit alleging that complications and problems with a Covidien Parietex ProGrip hernia mesh required that he go through corrective surgery.
September 5, 2024 Update
There are now 1,472 cases pending in the Covidien hernia mesh multidistrict litigation.
May 26, 2024 Update
The judge overseeing the Covidien hernia mesh MDL has extended the scheduling order by a period of eight months because of significant deficiencies in discovery. The judge has also denied motions by plaintiffs for sanctions and to compel discovery.
These decisions slow the litigation down. The deadline regarding general corporate discovery has been extended to December 9. Trial dates won't be determined until after September 26 in 2025. It will be difficult to pressure Covidien to settle until a solid trial date is set.
Covidien hernia mesh cases are arguably stronger cases than even Bard cases since the polyester material used in Covidien products is even faultier than Bard's materials.
Plaintiffs in the Covidien MDL are alleging polyester incites a heightened foreign body response as well as inflammation. The material is described as brittle and susceptible to mechanical failures such as fragmentation, breakage and fatigue fracture.
Bard's meshes usually use polypropylene, which, while flawed, is not as brittle or susceptible to failure as it is claimed polyester is.
1,081 cases were in the Covidien MDL on May 1.
April 16, 2024 Update
Deadlines have been extended by the judge overseeing the Covidien hernia mesh MDL in order to give parties additional time for discovery proceedings. The extensions come after it was found the manufacturer did not include documents which are related to hernia mesh implants which were received by almost half of the plaintiffs.
The plaintiffs noted that Covidien had failed to use the terms "Symbotex" and "ProGrip" when searching for files to submit during discovery proceedings. The plaintiffs noted that 24 percent of the lawsuits in the MDL involved Symbotex implants and 25 percent involved ProGrip products.
Covidien is currently facing almost 1,100 lawsuits in federal court, in addition to hundreds of claims in state court in Massachusetts, alleging that patients suffered from debilitating, painful complications due to polypropylene mesh products such as Covidien Symbotex and Covidien Parietex.
March 1, 2024 Update
The judge in the Covidien hernia mesh MDL has ordered Covidien to release complaint files during the process of pretrial discovery. The documents detail issues individuals have faced after usage of hernia repair products.
The company was instructed to submit complaint files, free of redactions, in order to speed up the process of production. The order bars plaintiffs from using personal data from the complaints unless a valid reason is demonstrated and they obtain defendant or court approval.
September 23, 2023 Update
The judge overseeing the Covidien hernia mesh MDL has approved a proposal regarding the preparation of six bellwether trials and the selection of two of these to be tried in early 2025.
August 1, 2023 Update
On July 13, 2023, the FDA released information about surgical mesh which is used to repair hernias. The information includes an acknowledgment that the risks of repairing hernias with mesh include shrinkage or migration of the mesh.
April 1, 2022 Update
A March 2022 research letter indicated that 16 percent of patients who need a hernia repair surgery will require an additional surgery within 10 years.
How to File a Hernia Mesh Lawsuit
Working with experienced defective medical device lawyers like Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers can make it easier for you to go through the process of filing a hernia mesh lawsuit during a difficult time. Our attorneys will handle each and every step of your case for you so you can focus on your family and recovering from your injuries.
Though each hernia mesh case is different, if you file a hernia mesh lawsuit, it will involve our legal team:
- Determining if you are eligible to file a lawsuit during a free case evaluation
- Collecting evidence which is necessary to build a strong case
- Filing a lawsuit against Covidien
- Pursuing financial compensation through a settlement, or if a settlement is not reached, a jury verdict
Call us today for a free consultation to learn more about the legal options you have.