Surgical mesh trial overview:
- Who: Plaintiff Theresa Blakely testified in a surgical mesh lawsuit against LifeCell.
- Why: Blakely claimed LifeCell skipped safety steps that caused the surgical mesh to break down, a hernia to reoccur and Blakely to lose her independence.
- Where: The surgical mesh lawsuit was filed in New Jersey Superior Court.
Plaintiff Theresa Blakely testified she was reinjured when her LifeCell surgical mesh failed, causing her hernia to reoccur and resulting in the loss of her independence.
Blakely’s counsel told the court the LifeCell Strattice Reconstructive Tissue Matrix surgical mesh breaks down and does not support abdominal pressure in obese and vulnerable patients, Law360 reports.
“It’s not safe for vulnerable patients; it’s not safe for Terry,” Law360 reports Robert Price of Ketterer Browne and Associates told the jury.
The trial began March 4. Consumers filed hundreds of lawsuits related to the mesh in New Jersey state and federal courts, according to Law360. The New Jersey Supreme Court consolidated 93 cases into multicounty litigation in 2021.
Surgical mesh has design defects, plaintiff claims
Blakely received hernia surgery utilizing the LifeCell Strattice Reconstructive Tissue Matrix surgical mesh Aug. 17, 2020, according to court documents. She needed to have a second surgery June 3, 2021, after the injury recurred — this time surgeons used a synthetic Parietex mesh.
Blakely filed a lawsuit after the second surgery, claiming LifeCell’s surgical mesh had a design defect, court documents show. She also alleges the company failed to warn consumers, was negligent, committed fraud, violated consumer protection laws and warranties and falsely marketed the device. Blakely seeks punitive damages.
In November 2023, a federal jury in Ohio awarded $500,000 to a man who argued he experienced injuries after a hernia mesh manufactured by C.R. Bard Inc. and its subsidiary Davol Inc. adhered to his insides.
Have you had hernia mesh issues? Let us know in the comments.
The plaintiff is represented by Derek T. Braslow, Robert E. Price and Keith E. Smith of Ketterer Browne and Associates LLC and Edward B. Mulligan and Jonathan A. Knoll of Cohen and Malad LLP.
The hernia mesh lawsuit is Blakely v. Lifecell Corp., et al., Case No. ATL-L-001214-22, in the Superior Court of New Jersey Law Division Atlantic County.
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