In an Australian pelvic mesh class action, J&J has reached a settlement of $205 million.
Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) has reached a settlement of A$300 million ($204.90 million) in two class action lawsuits filed by Shine Lawyers in Australia against it for selling women defective pelvic mesh implants. The settlement was announced on Monday.
Shine Lawyers said that the settlement was the largest product liability class action settlement in Australian history. It was reached after more than 11,000 claimants, the pharmaceutical giant, and its subsidiary Ethicon went through several court cases.
A federal court judge had already found that Ethicon sold implants to treat urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse without telling women or surgeons about the risks and without giving the products enough time to be tested.
In March 2020, the company will have to pay $1.7 million to three Australian women.
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Shine Lawyers then filed a second class action suit in April 2021 on behalf of women who got their implants on or after July 4, 2017, but were not able to join the first class action because they got their implants after that date. The second class action suit had similar claims to the first one.
Shine Lawyers said in a statement, “The settlement reached on September 9, 2022 is the largest product liability class action settlement in Australian history and is subject to approval by the Federal Court.”
“Ethicon feels for all women who have medical problems related to pelvic organ prolapse or stress urinary incontinence,” a Johnson & Johnson spokesperson said.
In the US, Canada, and Europe, J&J has been sued over its pelvic mesh products in the same way.
(1 dollar equals 1.4641 Australian dollars)
