Personal Jurisdiction Exists in Ethicon Pelvic Mesh Cases, Pa. Appeals Court Rules

PHILADELPHIA — A Pennsylvania appeals court has ruled that personal jurisdiction exists in pelvic mesh cases in which the mesh at issue was knitted by an in-state company because the plaintiffs’ claims “arise out of or relate to” Ethicon’s activities in Pennsylvania.

In an April 3 opinion, the Pennsylvania Superior Court held that Ethicon’s oversight of the mesh’s manufacture, paired with its reliance upon clinical studies performed by a Pennsylvania gynecologist, is sufficient for personal jurisdiction purposes.

The Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas, in a December 2017 order, granted a motion by Ethicon Inc. and Johnson & Johnson to …