Second Bellwether Trial in Covidien Hernia Mesh Lawsuit MDL Set for July 2026

Five months after the first Covidien bellwether case is set to go before a jury, a lawsuit involving hernia mesh adhesion injuries suffered by a Mississippi woman will be the second trial.

A hernia mesh lawsuit filed by a Mississippi woman who suffered severe and permanent injuries from a Covidien Symbotex patch has been chosen to be the second in a series of early test trials in the federal MDL (multidistrict litigation), going before a jury in July 2026.

The case will get underway five months after the first Covidien mesh bellwether trial is scheduled to begin in February 2026, and both lawsuits will be closely watched to gauge how juries may respond to similar evidence and testimony likely to be repeated throughout more than 1,700 claims being pursued against Covidien by individuals throughout the U.S.

The Covidien hernia mesh lawsuits each raise similar allegations that various different hernia repair products sold in recent years were defectively designed, causing users to experience severe pain and other complications, which usually result in the need for additional surgery to remove the mesh from their body.

Since 2022, U.S. District Judge Patti B. Saris has been presiding over a Covidien hernia mesh lawsuit MDL, with claims brought throughout the federal court system centralized in the District of Massachusetts for coordinated discovery and pretrial proceedings.

To help the parties weigh the relative strengths and weaknesses of their arguments, and promote settlement negotiations, Judge Saris has been guiding the parties through the preparation of a small group of Covidien mesh “bellwether” lawsuits, which will be set for early trial dates.

In late March, the parties held a series of Covidien hernia mesh settlement talks, but no agreement has yet been announced to resolve the claims. 

As a result, Judge Saris announced in April that the first bellwether trial will begin on February 17, 2026, involving a complaint brought by Larry and Tammy Patterson, of Alabama.

Second Covidien Hernia Mesh Bellwether Trial

In addition to the Patterson complaint, Judge Saris issued an Order for Pretrial Conference (PDF) late last month, announcing the selection of Regina Stephen’s complaint (PDF) to serve as the second Covidien hernia mesh lawsuit bellwether trial, which is slated to go before a jury on July 13, 2026.

According to the lawsuit, Stephen was implanted with a Symbotex mesh in January 2017, during ventral hernia repair. However, in July 2020 she had to undergo additional surgery, during which several adhesions to her hernia mesh were discovered and removed.

“Due to the defects of the Device as described in this Complaint, including premature resorption of the collagen coating meant to protect against adhesions, Plaintiff has suffered significant adhesions to the mesh, extensive pain as a result of those adhesions and the intense and chronic inflammatory response induced by the Device, bowel problems, infections and intervention surgery to repair Defendants’ Hernia Mesh Device and continues to suffer pain and ongoing complications,” the lawsuit states. “Plaintiff’s injuries are severe and permanent in nature and are the injuries that result due to the defects of this Device.”

Judge Saris’s order indicates that a pretrial memorandum is due by June 17, 2026, and sets a pretrial conference for June 25, 2026

While the outcome of Stephen’s and the Pattersons’ Covidien hernia mesh trials will not be binding on other plaintiffs, they will be closely watched to help the parties see how jurors may respond to a typical claim.

Judge Saris hopes that the results of these trials will lead the parties to a Covidien mesh settlement agreement, which will avoid the need for hundreds of individual cases to be set for trial.