Transvaginal Mesh Litigation Update: Consumer Group Calls for Criminal Investigation into Johnson & Johnson Destruction of Evidence
In follow up to Audet & Partners, LLP previous reports on Johnson & Johnson’s alleged systematic destruction of documents related to the safety of its vaginal mesh products, a consumer advocacy group has asked the United States Department of Justice to launch a criminal investigation in hopes that it will result in holding the company accountable for any misdeeds.
According to reports, the Corporate Action Network, a consumer advocacy group, has asked Attorney General Eric Holder to investigate whether or not Johnson & Johnson’s destruction of documents in the multi-district transvaginal mesh litigation was criminal in nature. In the civil lawsuit, Johnson & Johnson was found by a court to have negligently destroyed important documents showing the extent to which the company knew its transvaginal mesh product was unsafe for women. This was a severe impairment to the thousands of cases of women who seek compensation for the injuries they suffered as a result of their surgeries since that evidence was so critical to proving their cases.
Consumer advocacy groups, and law firms fighting on their behalf, have sought to obtain evidence about what Johnson & Johnson (and other mesh manufacturers) knew about the safety of the device prior to introducing the device into the marketplace. Given the alarming rate of injuries, it is alleged that the companies knew of safety defects, but failed to properly test the devices nor warn women of the risks. Instead, the company is accused of aggressively marketing the product, thereby giving women a false impression that it was a safe device. Thousands of lawsuits have been filed in the multi-district litigation over transvaginal mesh implants against many of the manufacturers including Johnson & Johnson. Women who had transvaginal surgeries claim serious injuries from the device, including organ perforation, erosion, infection, chronic pain and painful intercourse. These women naturally seek compensation for their life-changing injuries, which they may never have had to suffer if the manufacturers would have properly safety-tested the device and warned patients of the device’s risks.
A criminal investigation may reveal new evidence, some of which would otherwise have been unavailable in the civil suits. To the extent a criminal investigation could reveal new evidence that would expose exactly what Johnson & Johnson hid from the public (when it destroyed so many documents) or any other wrongdoing by mesh manufacturers that has been concealed, then thousands of women seeking justice may get a welcome bit of help for their own lawsuits.
How Do I Get More Information?
Women who have experienced problems after a transvaginal mesh procedure are encouraged to contact the attorneys at Audet and Partners, LLP for a free consultation about their legal options. Call us at (800) 965-1461 or complete and submit the confidential case inquiry form on the right side of this web page.
*Source: Johnson, Linda A. (2014, March 26); Retrieved from: http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/women-jj-trashed-records-product-injury-suits-23068515
