What Is a Hernia Mesh Lawsuit?
A hernia mesh lawsuit is a type of product liability lawsuit that seeks to hold negligent hernia mesh manufacturers responsible for injuries connected to their products.
When a hernia mesh implant is defective, it can cause serious complications and side effects, like bowel obstructions, infections, and chronic pain. In some cases, patients may need to undergo additional surgeries to fix the problem.
Compensation from a hernia mesh lawsuit can be used to help pay for medical treatment, lost wages, and other expenses. These lawsuits also send a message to device makers that their carelessness won’t be tolerated.
In October 2024, Bard resolved nearly 40,000 hernia mesh claims for what’s believed to be over a $1 Billion settlement.
Hernia Mesh Complications
Hernia mesh is supposed to help with hernia repair and prevent the condition from recurring after surgery. However, when surgical mesh is defective, it can lead to serious injuries.
Complications caused by hernia mesh include:
- Abnormal connection between organs, intestines, or vessels (fistulas)
- Abdominal pain
- Adhesion (strips of scar-like tissue that stick together)
- Bowel obstructions or blockage
- Chronic pain
- Constipation
- Fluid buildup where the surgery occurred
- Hernia recurrence
- Infections
- Migration of the mesh to other parts of the body
- Perforation of organs or tissue
- Pinched nerves
- Wrongful death
In many cases, patients may need additional surgeries to repair damage caused by defective hernia mesh. However, doctors may not be able to remove the mesh because of scar tissue, which can lead to lifelong health consequences.
If you had surgery to treat health issues caused by hernia mesh, you may be able to file a lawsuit and seek compensation for your injuries.
Causes of Hernia Mesh Injury
There are many causes of hernia mesh injuries. In some cases, careless manufacturing processes lead to a dangerous product being placed on the market.
Several factors can contribute to hernia mesh injuries, including:
- Defective designs that cause the mesh to shrink, migrate, or otherwise fail
- Inadequate testing
- Failure to properly warn users about potential risks
For example, Bard’s Composix® Kugel Hernia Patch used a memory recoil ring to keep the mesh’s shape after it was inserted into the body. Unfortunately, the ring wasn’t well designed and broke off, causing the mesh to fail.
Since injured patients began filing hernia mesh lawsuits in 2007, tens of thousands of victims have filed claims — and many have resulted in substantial payouts.
How Much Are Hernia Mesh Lawsuit Settlements Worth?
The majority of hernia mesh cases end in settlements, which means the defendant agrees to pay a certain amount of money for the case to end before it goes to trial. Hernia mesh settlements often award hundreds of thousands of dollars to victims and their families.
Some hernia mesh settlements our legal partners have recovered include:
- $800,000 for a woman in Alabama in her 70s
- $560,000 for a Florida resident in their 40s
- $475,000 for a man in Utah in his 50s
Hernia mesh settlement amounts vary depending on a variety of factors. These include the cost of medical bills, the severity of your injuries, and whether or not you’ll have a permanent disability.
Hernia mesh lawsuit lawyers and their clients typically prefer settlements because they provide quicker access to money and they’re less risky than a jury trial.
Get Help With Hernia Mesh Lawsuits
Medical device makers should be held responsible for harming innocent patients who relied on their products to improve their health.
If you or a loved one has suffered health problems from hernia mesh, our team may be able to connect you with top hernia mesh lawsuit attorneys if you qualify.
Take the first steps toward pursuing justice and compensation: Get a free case review now. There are never any upfront fees, which means there’s no financial risk to you.
Frequently asked questions
Do I qualify for the hernia mesh lawsuit?
You may be eligible to file a hernia mesh lawsuit if you received hernia mesh surgery on or after January 1, 2006, and later developed severe complications that required a second surgery.
The best way to find out if you are eligible is to contact an experienced hernia mesh lawyer.
What companies are named in hernia mesh litigation?
Hernia mesh manufacturers named in lawsuits include:
- Atrium Medical: Many lawsuits claim that Atrium’s C-Qur™ mesh’s fish oil coating increases infection and adhesion rates and has caused chronic pain and even wrongful death in some cases.
- Covidien: Covidien’s Symbotex™ hernia mesh products were cleared but not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which means no human studies were performed on the products before they were released to the public. Lawsuits allege that Symbotex™ can cause many complications, including excessive inflammation and chronic mesh infections.
- C.R. Bard and Davol Inc.: This company, owned by Becton, Dickinson, and Company (BD), designed the Kugel Patch Bard hernia mesh for minimally invasive hernia surgeries. Unfortunately, the Kugel Patch had a defective ring that could break and puncture organs, leading to bowel perforation. In 2018, Bard stopped marketing the Kugel Patch in the U.S.
- Ethicon: Physiomesh™ has attracted attention for using less polypropylene (a thermoplastic) than other hernia mesh products. However, due to this design choice, Ethicon’s Physiomesh™ is more likely to break apart and move within patients’ bodies and may result in serious complications.
Contact us now for free help determining your eligibility to file a hernia mesh lawsuit.
Written by: Her Case Matters
At HerCaseMatters, we believe women deserve to be heard — especially when it comes to their health and safety. Too often, harmful drugs, devices, and corporate wrongdoing impact women’s lives without proper warning, support, or accountability. We’re here to change that. We work with trusted legal partners who are deeply experienced in holding powerful companies accountable. But more than that, we’re here to remind women everywhere that their pain is real, their experiences matter, and they deserve justice.
