The products were designed to be used in cases of stress urinary incontinence or pelvic organ prolapse but the Federal Court heard the devices had caused a range of serious complications including chronic pain,infections and damage to surrounding organs.
In a summary of her 1500-page judgment last year,Justice Katzmann said:"At all relevant times all the Ethicon devices had a defect ….[and] at all such times all the Ethicon devices were also unfit for the purpose for which they were acquired.
"All the devices carried risks of complications … against which no adequate warnings were given."
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In her lengthier judgment,Justice Katzmann said each of the companies was negligent.
"The risks were known,not insignificant,and on Ethicon’s own admission,serious harm could ensue if they eventuated. A far more cautious approach was warranted than the respondents took,"she said.
She said her decision would"affect thousands of women who were implanted with any of the devices in Australia and who suffered any complications caused by those devices at any time before 4 July 2017".