Johnson & Johnson has begun settling claims filed against its power morcellator device that victims claim harmed them by spreading undetected cancer.
So far, approximately 100 cases have been filed or are ready to be filed, and about 70 have settled within the last few months. Settlements have ranged from $100,000 up to $1 million depending on the circumstances of each case.
The anticipated payout for these lawsuits by Johnson & Johnson is millions of dollars and the company is in talks to resolve other morcellator claims. Some morcellator cases are ongoing in courts. At this time, it is unknown how many women have been hurt because of this product.
Power Morcellators Spread Cancer
Laparoscopic power morcellators are medical devices used in the removal of fibroids in women. They slice up the benign growths, or fibroids, into small pieces so physicians can remove the tissue through small incisions.
One in 350 women who undergo fibroid surgeries may have an undetectable uterine cancer that will not be found prior to their operations. Power morcellators do not distinguish between fibroids and cancerous sarcomas. Therefore, if cancer is present, the device can spray cancerous tissue throughout a woman’s pelvis and abdomen, greatly reducing a woman’s chances of survival from the disease.
These devices were used in thousands of procedures every year, especially during hysterectomies. It was not until April of 2014 that Johnson & Johnson stopped selling the devices and the company took it off the market in July the same year.
While the company did show some responsibility by removing the device from the market, the damage was done and women were hurt. Although Johnson & Johnson is just one manufacturer of power morcellators, they produce the majority of them.
If you have been injured because of a power morcellator that spread malignant cancer, or if your loved one died because of this device, contact the power morcellator lawyers at GWC Injury Lawyers to find out if you are entitled to file a product liability or wrongful death claim today.
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