Joseph A. Osborne Appointed to Plaintiffs' Steering Committee for Transvaginal Mesh Litigation

WEST PALM BEACH, FL, April 23, 2012 (Press-News.org) On April 13, 2012, Judge Joseph R. Goodwin issued orders identifying Plaintiffs' Steering Committee for the transvaginal mesh MDL actions against manufacturing giants Johnson & Johnson, American Medical Systems, Ethicon and Boston Scientific. Select attorneys from across the country have been appointed to serve in committee and other leadership roles to coordinate the prosecution of injury claims arising from transvaginal mesh devices manufactured by these entities. Attorney Joseph A. Osborne of Babbitt Johnson Osborne & LeClainche has been selected to serve as a member of the committee.

MDL centralization has the effect of placing all actions in a given docket before a single judge who can formulate a pretrial program that streamlines discovery and ensures that pretrial proceedings will be conducted in a manner leading to the just and expeditious resolution of all actions to the overall benefit of the parties.

Transvaginal mesh is a synthetic material implanted in a woman's pelvic region. The mesh is used to reinforce the weakened vaginal wall to repair pelvic organ prolapse (POP), or as support for the urethra or bladder neck for treatment of stress urinary incontinence (SUI). The mesh is also called urogynecologic surgical mesh, pelvic mesh, vaginal mesh or a bladder sling. According to the FDA, there is inadequate clinical evidence that mesh used transvaginally for POP repair is any more effective than traditional repair. In fact, the FDA said that patients implanted with mesh are exposed to risks they would not face in a traditional repair procedure.

On July 13, 2011, the FDA updated their former warnings to alert physicians and women that vaginal mesh complications are not rare, as previously believed, and that "it is not clear that transvaginal repair with mesh is more effective than traditional non-mesh repair." This warning came after the department had received more than 1,500 reports of problems with the mesh between 2008 and 2010, a five-fold increase from the number of reports received between 2005 and 2007.

It is anticipated that many more Transvaginal Pelvic Mesh lawsuits will be filed as a result of the failure rates that have been reported with these specific devices nationwide. Babbitt Johnson Osborne & LeClainche is known for its work on medical device cases and other members have served or are currently serving in leadership positions on other consolidated medical device cases. Transvaginal mesh claims are one of many currently being prosecuted by the firm.

If you or a loved one has suffered or been injured from a defective Pelvic Mesh Implant involving these specific designs, you may have a claim. Contact Babbitt Johnson Osborne & LeClainche today for a free, confidential case evaluation. Our lawyers are standing by to answer any questions you may have regarding the Transvaginal Pelvic Mesh implants. Babbitt Johnson Osborne & LeClainche is representing clients nationwide.

Joseph A. Osborne is an attorney with Babbitt, Johnson, Osborne & La Clainche.
Contact the firm at 561-531-5983, toll free at 888-407-5164 or at http://www.babbitt-johnson.com/.