Two years after C.R. Bard agreed to settle most of its hernia mesh lawsuits, the Bard litigation is still open. Settled claims are being paid out over several years, new claims are still being filed, and the court has set strict rules for any claim that is not part of the settlement. Here is where the Bard hernia mesh lawsuits stand as of October 2026 and what it means if you are considering a claim for compensation.
The 2024 Bard Settlement
On October 2, 2024, Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD), Bard’s parent company, announced an agreement to resolve the vast majority of its hernia mesh lawsuits. The settlement covers cases in the federal multidistrict litigation in Ohio and in the consolidated state court litigation in Rhode Island, where about 38,000 cases had been filed.
The settlement terms are confidential, and BD has not disclosed the total amount. BD said payments will be made over several years and that the settlement does not admit liability. Its SEC filings show the effect: the number of hernia claims BD reported fell from about 34,845 in September 2023 to about 6,610 in September 2024. As of June 30, 2026, BD reported about 7,090 hernia claims it was still defending.
The Bard MDL Is Still Open
The federal cases are consolidated in In re: Davol, Inc./C.R. Bard, Inc., Polypropylene Hernia Mesh Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2846, before Chief Judge Edmund A. Sargus Jr. in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio. As of October 1, 2026, it had 23,324 pending cases, making it the second-largest MDL in the country. Many of those cases are settled and waiting to be finalized, but new cases are still being filed.
No Bard trials are currently scheduled. Instead, the court has set up a settlement process run by special masters for claims outside the settlement, including people who opted out. Monthly settlement conferences under that process are set to begin on or about January 4, 2027.
Stricter Rules for New Bard Claims
Because of the global settlement, new Bard claims face newer and more demanding procedures than claims filed before it. Under the court’s case management orders, a newly filed case must, among other steps:
- Within 21 days, include a lawyer’s certification that the claim is timely and has not already been released
- Within 60 days, produce a fact sheet and the medical records identifying the mesh and the implant and removal surgeries
- Within 90 days, serve a report from a licensed physician tying the injuries to the Bard mesh
Cases that do not meet these deadlines can be dismissed. That is why we are still reviewing select Bard claims with severe injuries, such as multiple revision surgeries, extended hospitalization or bowel damage. Those are the claims that justify the work these new procedures require.
Bard Trial Results
Before the settlement, Bard cases went to trial with mixed results:
- September 2021: In Johns v. C.R. Bard, the first federal bellwether trial, involving Ventralight ST mesh, the jury found for Bard.
- April 2022: In Milanesi v. C.R. Bard, involving a Ventralex hernia patch, the jury awarded $255,000. The judgment was later vacated after the parties resolved the case.
- August 2022: A Rhode Island state court jury awarded $4.8 million to Paul Trevino.
- November 2023: In Stinson v. C.R. Bard, involving a PerFix Plug, the jury awarded $500,000.
Which Bard Products Are Involved
The Bard claims involve Bard and Davol polypropylene hernia mesh, including Ventralex, Ventralex ST and Ventralight ST, 3DMax, PerFix Plug, Composix and Kugel, Sepramesh, Ventrio, Visilex and Marlex meshes. The lawsuits allege that the polypropylene degrades in the body and that coatings on some products break down, leading to adhesions, bowel obstruction, chronic pain, migration and repeated revision surgeries.
Who May Still Have a Bard Claim
You may have a Bard hernia mesh claim if your operative report shows a Bard or Davol mesh and you have had severe complications, such as:
- Two or more revision surgeries to repair or remove the mesh
- An extended hospital stay because of mesh complications
- Bowel damage, such as an obstruction, perforation, fistula or bowel resection
Deadlines to file, called the statute of limitations, vary by state and often run from when you learned your injury was related to the mesh. Doyle APC has handled Bard hernia mesh claims for over a decade. Compensation can cover medical expenses, past and future, along with pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life and a spouse’s loss of consortium.
Common Questions
Did Bard settle its hernia mesh lawsuits?
Yes. In October 2024, Bard’s parent company, BD, agreed to resolve the vast majority of its hernia mesh lawsuits. The terms are confidential, and payments are being made over several years.
Can I still file a Bard hernia mesh claim?
Yes. The Bard MDL is still open and new claims are still being filed. New claims must meet strict requirements, including a physician’s report within 90 days, so we are reviewing select Bard claims with severe injuries.
What counts as a severe Bard hernia mesh injury?
Severe injuries include multiple revision surgeries, an extended hospital stay, and bowel damage such as an obstruction, perforation or bowel resection.
How much is the Bard hernia mesh settlement worth?
BD has not disclosed the total amount, and individual settlement amounts are confidential. What a claim is worth depends on the injuries, the surgeries required and the medical records.
Are any Bard hernia mesh trials scheduled?
No. BD reported in 2026 that no trials are scheduled. Claims outside the settlement go through a court-supervised settlement process set to begin in January 2027.