The states of Washington and California announced lawsuits against the pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson earlier this week over the company’s pelvic mesh device.
The states allege that J&J misrepresented the risks of pelvic mesh. The device can cause severe complications like loss of sexual function, scarring, organ perforation, and chronic pain. The lawsuit claims that J&J failed to warn physicians and patients of the complications.
This should come as no surprise to J&J, as the company is already facing tens of thousands of personal injury lawsuits over the device. In 2014, more than 20,000 transvaginal mesh lawsuits were settled for $830 million, but J&J is still facing an additional 35,000 lawsuits nationwide.
Washington and California led 46 other states in an investigation into the company’s practices, and California alleges J&J used false advertising and deceptive marketing practices. The states’ lawsuits are seeking multimillion-dollar penalties for J&J.
J&J is also facing a multitude of lawsuits over its other products, including talcum powder, Invokana, Risperdal, Xarelto, and power morcellators. With two multimillion-dollar verdicts in the talcum powder trials so far this year and two more trials to come before the year is out, 2016 could be a devastating year for J&J and its defective medical devices and dangerous drugs.