Lawsuits against C.R. Bard and its Davol subsidiary allege that Bard’s polypropylene hernia mesh products, including the Ventralex, Ventralight ST, PerFix Plug, and 3DMax, can adhere to and erode into the bowel, migrate, contract, and cause infection and chronic pain that require revision surgery. Federal cases are consolidated in MDL No. 2846 in Columbus, Ohio. In October 2024, Bard’s parent company, Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD), announced an agreement to resolve the vast majority of the existing claims, and that settlement is being administered.
The litigation is settled but not closed, and new cases can still be filed. New cases face significant hurdles, though, and realistically only cases with very severe injuries, such as multiple revision surgeries or removal of part of the bowel, are worth pursuing now. Doyle APC has represented many clients in the Bard hernia mesh litigation and reviews new inquiries involving injuries of that severity.
Last updated: November 4, 2026.
At a glance
- Defendants
- C.R. Bard and its subsidiary Davol, part of Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD) since 2017
- Products
- Polypropylene hernia mesh, including Ventralex, Ventralight ST, PerFix Plug, 3DMax, Composix, and Sepramesh
- Main injuries
- Adhesions to the bowel, erosion, obstruction, fistula, infection, migration, chronic pain, and repeated revision surgery
- Court
- MDL No. 2846, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr.; coordinated cases in Rhode Island state court
- Cases pending
- 23,299 on the MDL docket as of November 2, 2026; BD reported about 7,090 unresolved claims as of June 30, 2026
- Trials
- Three federal bellwether verdicts (2021 to 2023) and a $4.8 million Rhode Island verdict (2022); no trials scheduled
- Settlement
- BD agreed in October 2024 to resolve the vast majority of existing claims; amount not disclosed
Who may have a claim
A new Bard hernia mesh case may be worth pursuing if:
- Your hernia was repaired with a Bard or Davol mesh, as shown in your operative report or implant records
- You suffered a very severe complication, such as two or more revision or mesh removal surgeries, removal of part of the bowel, a fistula, a bowel obstruction that required surgery, or a deep infection that required removing the mesh
- The statute of limitations that applies to you has not run
Cases involving a single revision surgery or pain without further surgery are generally not realistic to pursue now that the main settlement is in place.
Products involved
The MDL covers Bard and Davol polypropylene hernia mesh products, including the Ventralex and Ventralex ST hernia patches, Ventralight ST, PerFix Plug and PerFix Light Plug, 3DMax and 3DMax Light, the Composix family (including Composix E/X and Composix L/P), and Sepramesh IP. Many of these combine a polypropylene layer with a coating or second layer, such as ePTFE or a bioresorbable hydrogel, meant to keep the mesh from sticking to the bowel.
How to identify your mesh
The manufacturer, product name, and often the lot number of the mesh are recorded in the operative report and implant log from the original hernia surgery. If you are not sure which mesh you received, contact us and we can request and review the records.
Recalls
Bard recalled several sizes of the Composix Kugel Mesh in 2005, 2006, and 2007 after reports that its memory recoil ring could break, which could perforate the bowel. Kugel claims were litigated separately in an earlier MDL in Rhode Island, where Bard agreed in 2011 to pay about $184 million to resolve roughly 2,600 cases. Most products in the current litigation were not recalled.
Injuries and complications
Plaintiffs allege that the mesh can adhere to the intestines, erode into the bowel, form fistulas, cause bowel obstruction, migrate, shrink or fold, and become infected, leading to chronic abdominal pain and hernia recurrence. Treatment often requires surgery to remove all or part of the mesh and repair the hernia again, and in the most serious cases a bowel resection or several operations. Mesh that has grown into surrounding tissue can be difficult to remove completely.
Why it is alleged to fail
The lawsuits allege that the polypropylene used in Bard’s mesh degrades and oxidizes in the body, provoking chronic inflammation and scar tissue, and that coatings meant to protect the bowel break down too quickly to do so. Plaintiffs allege that a supplier’s safety documents warned that the polypropylene resin was not intended for permanent implantation in the human body, and that Bard used it anyway without adequate testing or warnings. The claims include design defect, failure to warn, and negligence against C.R. Bard and Davol. Bard denies that its products are defective.
Where the litigation stands
On August 2, 2018, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation consolidated federal Bard hernia mesh cases before Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. in the Southern District of Ohio. A separate coordinated proceeding in Rhode Island Superior Court, where Davol is based, holds additional cases.
BD’s October 2024 agreement resolved the large majority of existing claims, and the court appointed special masters to oversee the settlement process. As of November 2, 2026, the MDL docket listed 23,299 pending cases of 25,224 filed. That figure includes cases that have settled but have not yet been dismissed; BD reported defending about 7,090 hernia device claims as of June 30, 2026. Cases that did not settle and new cases proceed under court orders that require early medical and product records.
Trials and verdicts
- September 2021: defense verdict. In Johns v. Davol, the first federal bellwether trial, the jury found for Bard on claims involving a Ventralight ST mesh.
- April 2022: $255,000 verdict. In Milanesi v. Davol, a federal jury awarded $250,000 to Antonio Milanesi, who needed surgery for a bowel fistula after a Ventralex repair, and $5,000 to his wife.
- August 2022: $4.8 million verdict. In Trevino v. Davol, in Rhode Island Superior Court, a jury awarded Paul Trevino $4.8 million over a Ventralex patch that eroded into his bowel. The court later reduced the award to $4.55 million.
- November 2023: $500,000 verdict. In Stinson v. Davol, the third federal bellwether trial, a jury awarded Aaron Stinson $500,000 over a PerFix Plug, finding Bard failed to adequately warn of its risks.
Recent developments
- November 2, 2026: The MDL docket listed 23,299 pending cases.
- August 2026: BD reported defending about 7,090 hernia device claims as of June 30, 2026, up from about 6,905 in September 2025, and said no trials are scheduled.
- February 19, 2026: The court ordered that a case dismissed without prejudice and not refiled within one year will be dismissed with prejudice once Bard files a notice.
- November 2024: The court appointed two special masters to oversee the settlement process.
- October 2024: BD announced an agreement to resolve the vast majority of its existing hernia mesh litigation, payable over several years. Bloomberg reported that it covered more than 38,000 claims.
- February 1, 2024: Judge Sargus canceled a planned fourth bellwether trial, calling the usefulness of another lengthy trial doubtful, and denied the plaintiffs’ request to send cases back to their home courts.
Settlements and compensation
BD has not disclosed the total value of its October 2024 settlement or how much individual claimants receive. Bloomberg reported that the settlements would exceed $1 billion. Payments are based on each claimant’s injuries, and the most severe injuries, such as multiple revision surgeries and bowel resection, receive the most.
In a lawsuit, damages cover medical expenses, past and future, and non-economic damages: pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, and a spouse’s loss of consortium. The value of any case depends on the number and type of surgeries, the lasting effects, and the medical records that document them.
Deadlines to file
Every hernia mesh claim is subject to the statute of limitations of the state whose law applies, and deadlines vary widely. In many states the time limit runs from when you knew, or should have known, that the mesh caused your injury, which is often the date of a revision surgery. Because the Bard litigation began years ago, have your deadline reviewed promptly.
How we handle these cases
Doyle APC represents clients nationwide, and our attorneys have handled hernia mesh and pelvic mesh cases for many years. We gather the operative reports, implant records, revision surgery records, and pathology reports needed to identify the product and document the injury, and we tell you plainly whether a new Bard case is realistic. Some cases we handle directly, and others we pursue with experienced co-counsel. You pay nothing unless we recover.
Common questions
Can I still file a Bard hernia mesh lawsuit?
Yes. The MDL is settled but not closed, and new cases can still be filed. New cases must meet early records requirements, and realistically only those with very severe injuries, such as multiple revision surgeries or bowel resection, are worth pursuing.
How much is the Bard hernia mesh settlement?
BD has not disclosed the amount. Bloomberg reported that the settlements would exceed $1 billion across more than 38,000 claims. Individual amounts depend on each claimant’s injuries and are confidential.
Is the Bard hernia mesh lawsuit over?
No. Most existing claims have been resolved, but the MDL in Ohio and the Rhode Island state court proceeding remain open while the settlement is administered and remaining cases proceed.
Which Bard mesh products are involved?
The litigation involves Bard and Davol polypropylene mesh, including Ventralex, Ventralight ST, PerFix Plug, 3DMax, Composix, and Sepramesh products. Your operative report or implant record will name the product.
Do you represent clients outside California?
Yes. Doyle APC represents clients nationwide. Federal hernia mesh cases are filed in the MDL, which accepts cases from every state.
What is the difference between the Bard and Covidien hernia mesh cases?
They involve different manufacturers, products, and courts. Bard’s polypropylene mesh cases are in MDL No. 2846 in Ohio and largely settled in 2024. Covidien’s polyester mesh cases are in MDL No. 3029 in Boston, where the first bellwether trial ended in an $88 million verdict in August 2026. See our Covidien hernia mesh lawsuits page.
Sources
- Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation: transfer order creating MDL No. 2846 (August 2, 2018) and pending MDL dockets report (November 2, 2026)
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio: case management orders in In re Davol, Inc./C.R. Bard, Inc., Polypropylene Hernia Mesh Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2846
- Becton, Dickinson and Company: Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (fiscal 2025)
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration: recall records for the Composix Kugel Mesh (2005 through 2007)