Report: Boston Scientific loses $100m pelvic mesh case

A Delaware state jury issued a $100 million judgment against Boston Scientific (NYSE:BSX) today in a personal injury lawsuit filed over its Pinnacle and Advantage Fit pelvic mesh products, Bloomberg reported.

The jury found that the devices, used to treat pelvic organ prolapse and female urinary incontinence, were defectively designed and that company executives hid the flaws from plaintiff Deborah Barba, according to the news service.

It’s the 1st verdict since Marlborough, Mass.-based Boston Scientific last month agreed to pay $119 million to settle some 2,970 pelvic mesh lawsuits. It’s also the largest, topping the nearly $74 million awarded to Martha Salazar in Texas last September (that judgment was later halved by a Texas state judge).

The jury in the Barba case also found that Boston Scientific committed fraud by failing to alert doctors to the devices’ faulty design, awarding $75 million in compensatory damages and $25 million in punitive damages, according to the news service.

“We disagree with the jury’s finding and intend to appeal based on the strength of our evidence,” spokeswoman Kelly Leadem told Bloomberg in an email.

“The jury spoke loudly and clearly that Boston Scientific’s defective devices injured Mrs. Barba and many other women and they should step and take responsibility for causing that harm,” Barba lawyer Fred Thompson said.