New Orleans woman alleges surgical product caused her cancer

A New Orleans woman has sued two major pharmaceutical companies for allegedly giving her cancer through a morcellation device that was used during her hysterectomy.

Nidra L. Phillips filed a lawsuit filed April 22 in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, against Ethicon Endo Surgery Inc., Urology Ethicon Inc., Johnson and Johnson, Johnson and Johnson Services Inc., ABC Corporations1-10, John Does 1-10 and Jane Does 1-10.

According to the complaint, on April 2, 2014, Phillips had a hysterectomy and uterine mass removal with a uterine morcellation at Ochsner Baptist Medical Center in Orleans Parish. At the time, the suit states, "there was no evidence of disseminated and/or metastatic cancer/disease but very shortly following this procedure, the plaintiff was informed she had cancer of the uterus. Sometime later, at least several weeks later, plaintiff had reason to suspect that the defendant's morcellator surgical product caused and/or accelerated the spread of cancer in her body."

The plaintiff cites "severe and permanent damages due to the injuries caused by the defendants' product."

Phillips seeks: past and future medical expenses; pain and suffering; loss of earnings; loss of services; loss of enjoyment of life; other undisclosed non-economic damages; increased risk or death and/or spread of cancer; attorney fees; and court costs.

She is represented by attorneys Maury A. Herman, James C. Klick, Joseph A. Kott and Aaron Z. Ahlouist of Herman, Herman and Katz in New Orleans.

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana case number: 2:15-cv-01310-CJB-MBN.