J & J Is Beginning to Settle Power Morcellator Cases

Manufacturer Johnson & Johnson has begun settling claims related to its power morcellator hysterectomy device which claimants say caused them harm by spreading undetected cancer.

To date, approximately 100 claims have been made against the company, of which approximately 70 cases have been settled in the past months. Settlements range from $100,000 to nearly $1 million.

Wrongful death and product liability lawsuits allege that Johnson & Johnson knew, or should have known, of the product’s ability to spread cancer, yet did not take appropriate action.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office is also investigating why this defective medical device was sold for 20 years before warnings were issued regarding its ability to spread cancer.

Power Morcellator Spreads Cancer

Johnson & Johnson’s discontinued power morcellator device was found to spread undetected cancer in women who had fibroid operations performed with the medical tool. The power morcellator was used to cut fibroid tissue so that surgeons could remove it laparoscopically. During such an operation, it was found that the power morcellator could spread undetected cancerous tissue throughout the patient’s abdomen and pelvis.

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, there is a 1 in 350 chance that a woman having fibroid surgery already has a uterine sarcoma, though it cannot be accurately detected prior to the surgery.

The spread of cancerous tissue by the device can lower a woman’s long-term survival rate. Johnson & Johnson stopped selling the power morcellator in April 2014, and by July 2014, the device had been pulled from the market.

If a surgical procedure using a power morcellator caused you harm, you may be entitled to compensation. Let the power morcellator lawyers at PKSD go to bat for you against negligent medical equipment manufacturers, fighting to maximize your compensation.

Call 414-333-3333 or fill out our Free Case Evaluation form now.