Annual Report Details Wide Range of Defective Medical Device Claims Against Johnson & Johnson

Every day you probably see headlines in the news about another lawsuit involving a dangerous or defective medical device manufactured by a pharmaceutical company. But just how extensive are these lawsuits? And what role do government regulators play in holding these manufacturers accountable to the public?

Thousands of Lawsuits Involving Opioids, Talcum Powder, and Defective Hip Replacements

To get some idea as to the answers to these questions, it is worth looking at the annual report filed by Johnson & Johnson, one of the world’s largest drug and medical device producers. Like all publicly traded companies, Johnson & Johnson is required to file an annual report form known as a 10-K with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. In addition to providing financial information about the company–balance sheets, disclosures of executive compensation, et cetera–the 10-K must also disclose any pending private lawsuits or government regulatory investigations that may affect the business.

Johnson & Johnson’s most recent 10-K, which covers the fiscal year ending December 30, 2018, disclosed a wide range of lawsuits involving the company’s products. Here is just a sample of some of these disclosures:

• Johnson & Johnson is named “in more than 1,600 lawsuits brought by certain state and local governments” in connection with the opioid abuse crisis. The company and its subsidiaries “have also received subpoenas” from the attorneys general of Tennessee and several other states in connection with their investigations into “opioids marketing practices.”
• The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts made an “informal request” for Johnson & Johnson documents related to its DePuy ASR XL hip replacement device. This device is also the subject of “approximately 1,800 direct claims” throughout the United States.
• There are more than 25,600 lawsuits pending against Johnson & Johnson related to its drug Xarelto.
• Johnson & Johnson faces more than 13,000 lawsuits related to claims that its talcum powder products contained cancer-causing asbestos or led to the development of ovarian cancer in women. The company further disclosed it “has received preliminary inquiries and subpoenas” regarding its possible knowledge of asbestos in talc from the U.S. Department of Justice, the SEC, and the U.S. Senate’s Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
• Johnson & Johnson acknowledged there have been multiple lawsuits filed over its Ethicon Physiomesh hernia mesh products, which were withdrawn from the market in June 2016.

Speak with a Tennessee Defective Medical Products Lawyer Today

Although all drugs and medical devices released to the U.S. market are required to meet strict U.S. Food and Drug Administration guidelines, that is still no guarantee of 100 percent safety. And if you, or someone you love, has been injured due to a defective medical device manufactured by a company like Johnson & Johnson, you have the right to seek compensation. Contact the offices of Fox, Farley, Willis & Burnette, Attorneys at Law, if you need advice from an experienced Knoxville defective medical product liability attorney today.

Source:

sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/200406/000020040619000009/form10-k20181230.htm#s253E550FB9E9D7BE97B8D571E8FB7A93

https://www.foxandfarleylaw.com/are-some-patients-allergic-to-essure-birth-control-devices/