Hernia Mesh Lawsuit

Patients who have experienced chronic pain, infection, or the need for revision surgery after being implanted with hernia mesh may be eligible to pursue a claim and seek financial compensation.

Hernia mesh manufacturers are facing thousands of lawsuits due to a high number of patients experiencing complications from the hernia mesh after undergoing hernia repair surgery. While the purpose of the hernia mesh is to prevent hernia from recurring, many patients have suffered from an increased rate of recurrence and re-operation (with at least one manufacturer acknowledging this to be the case).

If you or a loved one experienced complications associated with hernia mesh after having hernia repair surgery, contact Maxwell Law Group LLP today. We can answer your questions and review your case for free.

For help understanding your options if you've been injured by a hernia mesh, reach out to our firm or call (844) 525-7155.

Hernia mesh is a surgical implant that provides extra support for damaged tissue. The hernia mesh is placed across the area surrounding the hernia. It is intended to help hold damaged tissue together and strengthen the area as it heals.

According to the FDA, the majority of hernia mesh is made from synthetic or animal tissue.

In the US, it is estimated that more than 90% of hernia repairs are aided with the use of the hernia mesh since 2000.

Anyone who meets the following criteria may be eligible to file a hernia mesh lawsuit:

• Individuals who had a hernia repair surgery where a defective hernia mesh was used.
• The defective mesh caused the injury.
• There are damages sustained because of the injuries.

Other important information which could determine if you are eligible to file a hernia mesh lawsuit are the following:

• The manufacturer of your hernia mesh device
• The date of your initial and any subsequent hernia repair surgery
• The name of your surgeon
• The address of the hospital where the surgery was performed

Anyone who meets the following criteria may be eligible to file a hernia mesh lawsuit:

Other important information which could determine if you are eligible to file a hernia mesh lawsuit are the following:

For help understanding your options if you've been injured by a hernia mesh, reach out to our firm or call (844) 525-7155.

A hernia occurs when an organ or tissue bulges through a weak or open spot in the surrounding tissue or muscle. It most commonly occurs in the abdominal area, specifically in the stomach and intestines.

A hernia mesh is inserted to help reinforce the repair made and prevent hernia from recurring. It is held in place using surgical glue, sutures, or tacks, but it can also be firmly held in place without them.

Even with a successful hernia mesh implant surgery, there are instances where the hernia mesh fails, resulting in several complications. According to the FDA, the most common side effects and injuries of hernia mesh include:

• Mesh infection
• Chronic, debilitating pain
• Mesh migration
• Mesh contracture
• Hernia recurrence (as a result of migration and/or contracture)

• Mesh rupture (aka “mechanical failure”)
• Wound dehiscence
• Fistula or sinus tract formation
• Adhesions of mesh to bowel
• Bowel perforation
• Bowel obstruction (as a result of adhesions)

• Mesh infection
• Chronic, debilitating pain
• Mesh migration
• Mesh contracture
• Mesh rupture (aka “mechanical failure”)
• Wound dehiscence
• Fistula or sinus tract formation
• Adhesions of mesh to bowel
• Bowel perforation

The time you have to pursue a claim is limited. Do not wait to reach out to our firm or call (844) 525-7155 to see if you have a case.

While some hernia mesh implants have proven most effective in patients, there are certain types of hernia mesh that have been linked to serious risks and complications, often leading to revision surgery for some patients. Multiple manufacturers, including C. R. Bard, Atrium Medical, and Ethicon, have issued recalls of their hernia mesh products in recent years.

In 2005, the FDA issued a recall order for the Bard Composix Kugel Mesh Patch, a ventral hernia repair device. It was discovered that the mesh had a potential memory recoil ring breakage from the pressure of placement within the abdomen. Complications included bowel perforation and chronic enteric fistula—which occurs when the device creates holes within the gastrointestinal tract. This prompted Bard to recall over 31,000 mesh units from 2005 to 2007.

Another manufacturer announced a hernia mesh product recall in 2013. Atrium Medical was ordered to recall C-QUR Edge Mesh, stemming from their lack of proper management and response regarding a rising number of complaints about the device. The FDA received reports that the implantation of the hernia mesh resulted in serious infections, causing serious medical conditions like chronic pain and severe allergic reactions.

Ethicon, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, released a field safety notice initiating a product recall of Physiomesh Composite Mesh product line. The hernia mesh originally received a controversial 510(k) clearance from FDA, a type of approval that fast-tracks the application process and release of medical devices to the market, based on the company’s claims that it met all testing criteria. However, within months of its release, many reports of hernia recurrence had been reported.

The company acknowledged the unusually high rates of hernia recurrence and reoperation after laparoscopic ventral hernia repair from various studies, and decided to voluntarily pull out the surgical device from the market. Unfortunately, the recall occurred in 2016—6 years after the product’s initial approval—after thousands of patients had already been implanted with the Physiomesh product.

Thousands of patients have filed lawsuits against hernia mesh manufacturers, alleging that the companies sold defective products and failed to warn patients and doctors about the risks of complications.

C.R. Bard. In 2018, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation consolidated federally filed Bard polypropylene hernia mesh cases into MDL 2846. Many Bard hernia mesh products that use polypropylene in their design are included in this MDL.

Atrium Medical. Patients who suffered complications from Atrium’s C-QUR mesh have filed lawsuits claiming the company failed to warn them about the risks of the device.

Ethicon. Ethicon and its parent company Johnson & Johnson have faced lawsuits over Physiomesh Flexible Composite Mesh, alleging failure to warn and negligence in releasing a defective product to the market.

Covidien. In 2022, federal Covidien hernia mesh lawsuits were consolidated into MDL 3029 in the District of Massachusetts.

Key milestones

• 2021: Atrium’s parent company, Getinge, announced a settlement agreement resolving most C-QUR mesh claims, and Ethicon resolved most of its Physiomesh claims.
• October 2024: Bard announced a major settlement covering much of MDL 2846. Settlement administration continues, and new and unresolved cases remain.
• August 2026: A jury in the first Covidien bellwether trial (MDL 3029) awarded $88 million to the plaintiff.