Recently, the so-called CR Bard hernia mesh cases have caught a lot of people’s eyes, and you know why? Well, generally speaking, hernia meshes are a type of synthetic implant made of a combination of plastic and fabric, the stiff mesh is the part of the hernia and it is glued to it, you know? Sure enough, this mesh is designed to be applied by opening up the abdomen and for the first few days following the surgery, to be the only barrier to bacteria, that is why it is the best one to hold on to, and that’s how it is.
It also offers a firm scar tissue for the tissues to heal, thus making it a very effective support for a successful hernia repair, instead of a “single-time” surgery. Keep in mind though, but, in some rare cases, the plastic has been found to erode and the reaction of the host to it has also been poorly tolerated by some. Because of all this, CR Bard is facing multiple lawsuits. And today though, we’re here to give you a good idea of what’s the current CR Bard Hernia Mesh Lawsuit Update. Alright, here we go then.
So, What Are The Specific Allegations Against CR Bard?
Well, sure enough, by this point, there’s been a lot of noise about the surgical mesh products from CR Bard, right? Like, especially the Bard Ventralex and PerFix Plug ones, remember those? Without a single doubt, pretty much every person who had trouble with these devices claims that they are either defective or are made out of subpar materials that are reasonable for use inside the body. That just doesn’t end there, you see, on top of that, there’s also the fact that the company is being accused of insufficiently warning doctors and patients about the risks associated with their use of the meshes.
Keep in mind though, it’s not just about single incidents. Lawsuits argue that CR Bard knew the products had potential dangers yet they still sold them instead of treating it seriously enough as a surgical procedure. And sure enough, this feeling of the company placing profit above personal well-being should leave patients disappointed in a healthcare system they believed was going to look after them, but they now feel kinda cheated.
Key Developments in the CR Bard Hernia Mesh Cases
Just to give you a perspective on things, you see, the legal actions against CR Bard actually started gathering steam in the year 2018 when the lawsuits all got grouped into one big multidistrict litigation (MDL). And for those who don’t know yet, well, the MDL approach is just a more efficient way of grouping similar cases in front of one jurisdiction. In this instance though, the early cases that were decided upon were called bellwether trials. And sure enough, they were conducted for the purpose of knowing and examining the arguments on both sides and then setting the outcome for future cases, just so you know.
As for the results of these bellwether trials, well, they have been truly mixed. Like, one time a jury awarded $250,000 to a plaintiff while another time an incredible $4.8 million verdict was issued. Going more recently in October 2023, you see, a plaintiff was able to get damages of $500,000. Keep in mind though, in the end, these outcomes are spectacular, and the more patients win, the smaller the amounts become in the case of slight injuries.
What About Settlements?
If you’re here just for the settlement numbers, well, just know that back in October 2024, CR Bard entered into a settlement arrangement that was mainly meant to put an end to these lawsuits. And to be precise here, you see, according to different reports, the average payment will vary between $65000 and $70000 for each claimant.
