NJ Woman Wins $13.5M Pelvic Mesh Award

Dawn Snyder | February 23rd, 2016

lawyer and jurors

The jury is in on a woman’s transvaginal mesh claim. Earlier this month, a Toms River, New Jersey woman became the second plaintiff to win a large verdict against Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Ethicon. On February 10, a Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas jury awarded her $13.5 million in her pelvic mesh lawsuit.

Sharon Carlino, 58, filed the lawsuit because of a 2005 surgery intended to treat urinary incontinence. She was implanted with Ethicon’s Gynecare TVT pelvic mesh device but she began to suffer sharp pains as a result. Two revision surgeries did not repair her injuries.

Pelvic mesh victims face a long road

Carlino was not alone in her experience; she was one of tens of thousands of women across the country who filed personal injury lawsuits against vaginal mesh manufacturers. Last December, another Philadelphia jury awarded $12.5 million to another vaginal mesh victim who has suffered chronic pain attributed to the device.

Surgical mesh is used to repair pelvic organ prolapse and stress urinary incontinence. However, some of the reported complications include mesh erosion, pain, organ damage and infections at the site. In some cases, patients may need to undergo surgery to remove the device. However, once the tissues begin to fuse to the mesh, removal can be much more complicated than the insertion.

Like many other defective medical device claims, the legal proceedings in tranvaginal mesh litigation are protracted. In Carlino’s case, she underwent the initial surgery to implant the mesh in 2005. After experiencing complications, she underwent revision surgery to remove part of the device in 2007. With the first revision surgery not solving the problems, she underwent another surgery in 2010 to remove more of the device. She filed her lawsuit in Philadelphia in 2013 and it took more than two years to litigate, with trial not starting until January 2016.

Bills do not wait

Many plaintiffs involved in transvaginal mesh litigation have discovered an unpleasant truth: as the pretrial litigation drags on, medical and household bills keep rolling in. Unfortunately, these obligations do not go on hold until the case is resolved.

Pre settlement funding may afford plaintiffs in vaginal mesh lawsuits the safety net they need to get out of the financial crunch and focus on wrapping up the lawsuit. By removing the pressure to take a low-ball settlement offer, plaintiff funding can allow a victim to see litigation through to the end.

How LawStreet Capital can help

Lawsuit funding from LawStreet Capital offers several benefits:

  • You can apply quickly online
  • There is no need for a credit check
  • Fees are up-front, not hidden
  • The industry’s lowest interest rates
  • Funding is available the next day
  • Delivery of funds by overnight mail or electronic bank transfer
  • You do not repay anything if you don’t win your case

LawStreet Capital can afford you the flexibility you need until your pelvic mesh settlement is finalized. There is no risk for you; we only recover our advance and fees once you settle or win your case.

Call 1-866-FUND-662 for a confidential discussion.