As 2024 drew to a close, the Covidien hernia mesh lawsuits reached several milestones that would shape the claims of thousands of patients seeking compensation for their injuries.
With more than 7,500 lawsuits pending in federal and state courts, the litigation had become one of the largest medical device mass torts in the country.
Federal MDL Progress
Federal Covidien hernia mesh cases are consolidated in a multidistrict litigation (MDL) created by the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation in June 2022. The cases are before Judge Patti B. Saris in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, under the title In re: Covidien Hernia Mesh Products Liability Litigation (No. II), MDL No. 3029.
At the time of this story, 1,546 cases were pending in the federal MDL. Discovery was well underway, and Covidien had produced more than 1.3 million documents about five of its hernia mesh products. The court also ordered the company to turn over marketing materials and foreign regulatory records.
State Court Proceedings
Most Covidien claims were filed in Massachusetts state court, where more than 6,000 lawsuits were coordinated. Attorneys worked to coordinate discovery between the state and federal cases so that plaintiffs in both courts would have access to the same evidence.
The Trial Schedule Set for 2025
Under the schedule in place in late 2024, the first bellwether cases were to be selected by May 12, 2025, with trials to begin after September 26, 2025. Bellwether trials are test cases meant to show both sides how juries value the claims.
Complications Reported by Patients
The lawsuits stem from complications that patients reported after hernia repairs with Covidien mesh, including:
- Chronic pain
- Mesh migration
- Infection and inflammation
- Organ perforation
- Bowel adhesions and bowel obstruction
- Mesh failure or breakdown
- Revision surgery to repair or remove the mesh
These complications often meant more surgery, large medical bills and a lasting loss of quality of life. Read more about the warning signs of hernia mesh failure.
Covidien Meshes Named in the Lawsuits
The claims involve several Covidien mesh lines, including:
- Parietex Composite, Parietex Optimized Composite, Parietex Composite Ventral Patch and Parietex Hydrophilic meshes
- Symbotex Composite Mesh
- ProGrip meshes, including Parietex ProGrip, ProGrip Laparoscopic and Parietene ProGrip
- Parietene DS Composite and other Parietene meshes
Most of these meshes are made of polyester. The lawsuits allege that polyester triggers chronic inflammation and can become brittle and shrink inside the body, and that the absorbable collagen barrier on Covidien’s composite meshes breaks down too quickly to protect the bowel. ProGrip claims also allege that the mesh’s small gripping hooks cause pain and make the mesh hard to remove.
What Happened Next
The bellwether schedule slipped into 2026. Court-ordered mediation in 2025 was extended to January 2026, but no global settlement followed.
The first MDL bellwether trial, Patterson v. Covidien, went to a jury in Boston in July 2026. Larry Patterson had received a Covidien Symbotex Composite Mesh in 2017 and later developed a bowel obstruction. On August 4, 2026, the jury returned a unanimous $88 million verdict, finding that Covidien failed to warn, including $11 million to his wife, Tammy Patterson, for loss of consortium. Medtronic, Covidien’s parent company, said it would challenge the verdict through post-trial motions and an appeal.
The case count also grew. The federal MDL had 2,479 pending cases as of October 1, 2026, and Medtronic reported about 10,500 hernia mesh plaintiffs in total, including about 7,450 in Massachusetts state court and about 500 in Minnesota state court.
Two more MDL bellwether trials are scheduled: Stephen v. Covidien on January 11, 2027, and Passmore v. Covidien, the first trial over ProGrip mesh, on March 29, 2027.
For the latest, see the Covidien hernia mesh lawsuit update.
Doyle APC represents individuals with Covidien hernia mesh claims.
Common Questions
What is the Covidien hernia mesh MDL?
It is the consolidated federal litigation over Covidien hernia mesh, In re: Covidien Hernia Mesh Products Liability Litigation (No. II), MDL No. 3029, before Judge Patti B. Saris in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. It had 2,479 pending cases as of October 1, 2026.
Has Covidien settled its hernia mesh lawsuits?
No. As of November 2026, Covidien has not announced a global settlement. Court-ordered mediation in 2025 and early 2026 did not produce one.
What was the result of the first Covidien hernia mesh trial?
In August 2026, a federal jury in Boston awarded $88 million in Patterson v. Covidien, a case over Symbotex Composite Mesh, finding that Covidien failed to warn. Medtronic said it would challenge the verdict.
Which Covidien meshes are involved?
The claims involve Covidien’s Parietex, Symbotex, ProGrip and Parietene meshes, most of which are made of polyester.
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