Becton Dickinson Hernia-Mesh Settlements Will Exceed $1 Billion
- People familiar with deal disclose cost company kept private
- Thousands of suits alleged injuries from improper use of mesh
Hernia patients alleged suppliers of components of the mesh warned manufacturers it wasn’t fit to be implanted in humans, but the companies used it anyway.
Photographer: Smith Collection/Gado/Sipa/AP PhotoBecton Dickinson & Co. will pay more than $1 billion to resolve more than 38,000 lawsuits alleging medical patients suffered damaged organs from surgical mesh improperly used to treat hernias, according to people familiar with the deal who weren’t authorized to speak publicly.
Becton didn’t disclose the cost of the settlement it announced Wednesday, saying only that the deal resolves the “vast majority” of its existing hernia-mesh claims with payments over a multi-year period. There was no mention of future claims. As of June 30, the company had set aside $1.7 billion for all its product-liability cases, including the mesh litigation, company filings show.