Lawsuit Claims Covidien Hernia Mesh Perforated Man’s Bowel

Man alleges mesh implant turned a section of his intestines into “hamburger” and adhered to nearby organs, causing bowel leaks, a persistent infection and a large abscess.

According to a lawsuit filed by a Texas man, a defectively designed Covidien hernia mesh led to numerous surgeries, weeks of hospitalization and permanent injuries.

The complaint (PDF) was brought by Steven Louis Jarmon in Texas District Court on March 30, naming Medtronic Inc. and its subsidiary, Covidien Inc., as the defendants. On the same day, defendants had the case removed to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.

The Covidien mesh is a hernia mesh constructed of knitted polyester with an absorbable collagen film. However, the manufacturers face numerous similar hernia mesh lawsuits, alleging that there is a problem with the product’s polyester design that makes it more likely to fracture from fatigue, break, fragment, cause mesh migration, potentially puncture organs and cause other health problems.

Jarmon claims that the defendants have known for years that the mesh is defective, yet failed to warn the medical community, remove the mesh from the market, or alter its design. His claim joins thousands of hernia mesh injury lawsuits brought against Covidien and other various hernia mesh manufacturers.

Hernia Mesh Failure Lawsuit

According to the lawsuit, Jarmon was first implanted with a Covidien mesh during a laparoscopic right-sided inguinal hernia repair in June 2016. However, in June 2024, he began noticing a red, swollen abscess forming on his central abdomen.

For weeks, healthcare professionals struggled to figure out what was causing the abscess and infection, treating it with various antibiotics and draining it to no avail. Jarmon’s pain and discomfort kept worsening.

In late August, it was decided that the mass should be surgically removed, amid fears it may be a cancerous tumor. Instead, what doctors found was that his Covidien mesh had perforated Jarmon’s bowel and had adhered to his abdominal wall and other organs.

The surgeon told Jarmon the perforated area of his bowel looked like “hamburger meat” and indicated it took three hours to surgically remove the ruined mesh.

Jarmon had to undergo two additional surgeries in early September, due to a hernia recurrence and a liver hematoma. After the surgeries, he was seen by an infectious disease specialist who was able to identify the strain of infection and the correct treatment.

The complaint notes Jarmon spent almost two weeks in the hospital and several months receiving aftercare.

“As a result of the infections, surgeries and loss of a portion of his bowel, Plaintiff continues to suffer life-altering side effects. His once robust immune system is depleted.”

– Steven Louis Jarmon v. Medtronic Inc. et al

The lawsuit alleges defendants violated the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices-Consumer Protection Act and also presents claims of manufacturing and defect design and breach of warranty. It seeks both compensatory and punitive damages.

Covidien Hernia Mesh Lawsuits

Jarmon’s complaint is one of more than 2,200 similar Covidien hernia mesh lawsuits filed in the federal court system, and will likely be transferred to the District of Massachusetts, where all federal Covidien mesh claims have been centralized as part of a multidistrict litigation (MDL) before U.S. District Judge Pattie B. Saris for coordinated discovery and pretrial proceedings.

Under Judge Saris’s orders, the parties are currently preparing a handful of select cases, meant to represent the most common situations shared by all of the lawsuits, for a series of “bellwether” trials. These early test cases will help the parties see how juries respond to evidence and testimony likely to be repeated throughout the litigation. 

The first Covidien hernia mesh bellwether trial is currently scheduled to begin on July 13, 2026.

The trials will be closely watched, not because they directly affect other cases, but because the outcomes may offer insight into how juries could respond to similar claims nationwide. These outcomes can often help the parties negotiate a settlement resolving all or most of the litigation.

However, if the bellwether trials are completed with no settlement or other resolution reached, Judge Saris may begin remanding the lawsuits back to their originating district court for individual trial dates.

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