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Breast Implant Lawsuit Settlement

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  • Breast Implant Lawsuit

In the 1990s, Dow Corning and other medical device manufacturers paid billions in breast implant settlements, after tens of thousands of women filed suit for injuries and illnesses allegedly caused by leaking silicone devices. While that litigation has been resolved, recent filings have targeted the new generation of silicone-gel breast implants.

Could You Qualify for a Breast Implant Settlement?

The nationwide law firm of Bernstein Liebhard LLP is investigating product liability claims involving silicone breast implants manufactured by Mentor Worldwide, Allergan Plc, and Sientra Inc.  Mentor has already been named a defendant in lawsuits over allegedly defective silicone devices, with plaintiffs charging that thousands of women may have suffered similar harm. If you or a loved one experienced unexplained illnesses or complications following silicone breast implant surgery, please call (888) 994-5118 to discuss your case with a member of our legal team.

Breast Implant Litigation & Settlements

In the 1980s and 1990s, thousands of women filed suit for autoimmune and connective tissue disorders allegedly linked to ruptured silicone implants. In 1992, several major medical device manufacturers, including Dow Corning and Bristol-Myers Squibb, withdrew from the silicone implant market. That same year, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) imposed a virtual ban on the devices, mandating that they only be used for reconstruction after surgery or to correct congenital deformities. Dow Corning, which was forced to declare Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1995 due to the overwhelming litigation, agreed to a $3 billion breast implant lawsuit settlement in 1998. Other companies entered into similar accords.

In 2006, the FDA lifted its restrictions on silicone breast implants, clearing the devices for cosmetic use in woman from age 22. So far the agency has only granted premarket approval to five silicone breast implants:

• Allergan Natrelle
• Allergan Natrelle 410 Highly Cohesive Anatomically Shaped Silicone-Filled Breast Implants
• Mentor MemoryGel
• Mentor MemoryShape
• Sientra’s Silicone Gel Breast Implants

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the breast implant market was worth $635 million last year. Around 80% o of women who undergo the surgery opt for silicone devices over saline.

Current Silicone Breast Implant Litigation

As of January 2017, two breast implant lawsuits had been filed on behalf of women who claim that Mentor Worldwide’s MemoryGel devices made them sick. In both cases, plaintiffs allegedly experienced a range of mysterious and debilitating symptoms following their breast surgery, including:

• Hives, itching and skin rashes
• Severe fatigue
• Pain in breasts, chest, lymph nodes and/or ribs
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Weakness
• Nausea
• Excessive amounts of heavy metal in the bloodstream
• Silicone toxicity
• Shortness of breath
• Poor wound healing
• Autoimmune problems
• Digestive issues
• Gastrointestinal problems

In an interview with Bloomberg News, one of the women’s attorneys suggested that the cases could be just the “tip of the iceberg,” and speculated that thousands of women could be suffering from similar breast implant illnesses.

Contact an Attorney Today

Our attorneys are offering free, no-obligation legal reviews to women who may have been harmed by silicone breast implants. To arrange for a review or learn more about the potential for a breast implant lawsuit settlement, please contact our office at (888) 994-5118.