Los Angeles, CA: Boston Scientific, maker of Pinnacle vaginal mesh, has been ordered to pay $26.7 million to four women who suffered disfiguring and debilitating injuries following complications linked with their Pinnacle implants.
The trial combined four separate Boston Scientific Pinnacle mesh lawsuits and was heard in Miami. It took eight days to present testimony during which the plaintiffs, Juana Betancourt , Margarita Dotres, Amal Eghnayem and Mania Nunez, suggested that employees of the medical device manufacturer had expressed concerns about the safety of the vaginal mesh prior to it' release on the market. They had requested more testing be done, according to the testimony. Boston Scientific, however, allegedly ignored the requests and promoted the Pinnacle mesh without issuing warnings about the risk for erosion through the vagina, which can result in infections or other severe complications.
It took the jury only four hours to determine that the devices were defective and that the company failed to adequately warn about the potential vaginal mesh complication risks. Each of the women was awarded about $6.5 million in compensatory damages.
