Big verdict in vaginal mesh lawsuit

A jury in Dallas handed down a $73.5 million verdict against a medical device maker in a lawsuit filed by a woman who suffered injuries as a result of a vaginal implant intended to treat incontinence. The verdict was handed down in Dallas against Boston Scientific, one of seven manufacturers facing thousands of lawsuits over vaginal mesh products. The plaintiff in the Texas case was a 42-year-old woman who suffered nerve damage and infections from the implant. Among companies facing lawsuits are C.R. Bard and Ethicon, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson. Earlier this year, a Dublin-based firm agreed to pay $830 million to settle lawsuits concerning transvaginal mesh defects. The devices are surgically implanted to treat incontinence and shifting of organs, or organ prolapse, common among many women. But some of the devices have been found to erode over time.