Pelvic Mesh – Email Directing Sales Reps to Conceal Study Results in $73 Million Judgment

In a recent Texas case involving Boston Scientific’s slings, the Plaintiff introduced an August 2000 e-mail from Alex Robbins, a Boston Scientific executive, in which he tells salespeople to ignore a company-funded study raising questions about the sling’s safety.“I certainly wouldn’t hand this out to any physicians,” Robbins said in the e-mail according to Bloomberg. The jury awarded the plaintiff $23 million in compensatory damages and $50 million in punitive damages.

It is no  wonder the jury awarded $50 Million in punitive damages. Punitive damages are meant to punish Defendants who are grossly negligent in their actions and discourage such actions in the future. Boston Scientific intends on filing an appeal.

Salazar v. Lopez, No. DC-1214349, District Court for Dallas County, 95th Judicial District of Texas (Dallas).

The  Food and Drug Administration ordered all trans-vaginal mesh and sling manufacturers to study the rate of complaints associated with their products back in 2012 after concerns surfaced about the products. The lawsuit are in the tens of thousands and involved more than five manufacturers. Cases are consolidate in in the US District Court of Western Virginia.

Disclaimer: Attorney Joseph K. Githuku is licensed to practice law in Maryland and does not practice law in any other state. Cases outside of Maryland are likely to be referred to a network of local attorneys.