Judge Plans to Reduce $88 Million Covidien Verdict

A federal judge in Boston says the jury's award to an Alabama couple in a hernia mesh case appears to have been driven by passion.

Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in Healthcare

Judge Plans to Reduce $88 Million Covidien Verdict

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U.S. District Judge Patti B. Saris plans to reduce an $88 million verdict against Covidien, a Medtronic subsidiary, in the first Covidien hernia mesh action to reach trial. The award went to an Alabama couple at a hearing held November 10 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.

Why it matters

The judge said the verdict appeared to be the product of passion, signaling that the award may be substantially lowered before it stands. The ruling will shape how damages are valued in the wider group of hernia mesh lawsuits against device makers.

The $88 million verdict is the central figure in the case and is the amount the judge plans to reduce. The reduced amount and any post-trial appeal have not yet been determined.

The players

Patti B. Saris

Saris is the U.S. District Judge for the District of Massachusetts presiding over the hernia mesh case and deciding whether to reduce the verdict.

Covidien

Covidien is a medical device company and a subsidiary of Medtronic that manufactures surgical products, including hernia mesh.

Medtronic

Medtronic is a global medical technology company and the parent of Covidien, which faces the $88 million verdict.

The details

Plaintiffs' counsel urged jurors in closing argument to send a message by holding the Medtronic subsidiary responsible. Judge Saris stated the verdict appeared to be the product of passion, prompting her plan to reduce the award.

November 10, 2026: Judge Saris held the hearing on reducing the verdict in U.S. District Court in Boston.

Market Landscape

This verdict is the first outcome from the Covidien hernia mesh litigation to reach a jury, which places the company among other medical device makers facing mass product lawsuits. Any reduction by the judge would set an early benchmark for how damages in the remaining cases are assessed.

Patients who have had hernia mesh implants and are weighing legal options may see how damages are valued in these cases shift as the verdict is reduced. The outcome may also affect how quickly claims in the broader litigation are resolved.

The takeaway

Large jury awards in medical device cases can be revised by judges, so the final payout may differ sharply from the initial verdict. Readers following product liability litigation should track post-trial rulings as closely as the original decision.