Bellwether Bard Hernia Mesh Patch Case Proceeds to Trial in Rhode Island

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — A Rhode Island state justice has sent to trial a bellwether case targeting a Ventralight hernia mesh patch manufactured by Davol Inc. and C.R. Bard, ruling the plaintiff has established a link between his injuries and the polypropylene mesh device.

On July 26, Associate Justice Richard A. Licht found plaintiff Paul Trevino presented expert testimony supporting his allegation that the patch he received was defectively designed and that defendants failed to warn his implanting surgeon of its risks.

In the early 1990s, following an abdominal injury, Trevino, a Hawaii resident, underwent an exploratory laparotomy, during which his …