USA — Matthews & Associates and Freese & Goss are scheduled to jointly try several pelvic (transvaginal) mesh and sling cases across the U.S. beginning in Jan. 2013. The law firms are taking depositions, reviewing hundreds of thousands of pages of documents, meeting clients scheduled for trial, and preparing to prosecute their cases in court.

“We are keeping the pressure on defendants in these cases,” said attorney David Matthews. “Defense feels it has a proven product with acceptable safety risks. Some of their mesh and sling products are backed by many surgeons and doctors to a certain extent. But there is no question that when something  goes wrong with a synthetic mesh product or with a given sling, the injuries can be catastrophic.

“We don’t want to give away our strategy for taking on these corporations and their batallions of attorneys, but I can tell you we find it troubling how little pelvic mesh was tested before being implanted in human beings. Mesh manufacturers tested their products on a couple dozen animals, on rats, rabbits and sheep, and I guess it’s fair to say none of them complained of pain or other problems, which hardly proves mesh is acceptably safe and effective, or that it always solves more problems than it creates.”

More than 6,000 pelvic mesh cases have been filed in the Federal MDL court in W. Va. thus far.  Individual trials are scheduled in several different state courts in 2013.

by Matthews & Associates