- As part of the defense of a medical device manufacturer in multidistrict litigation (In re: Ethicon, Inc. Pelvic Repair System Products Liability Litigation, Southern District of West Virginia), responsibility for Wave discovery, including preparing and responding to written discovery; taking the depositions of plaintiffs and fact witnesses; developing and preparing expert witnesses; and coordinating, preparing, and editing dispositive and Daubert motions.
- As part of the defense of a manufacturer in multidistrict litigation, responsibility for coordinating and preparing dispositive and Daubert motions; identifying and developing expert witnesses; preparing expert witnesses for deposition; taking and defending expert depositions.
- Shears v. Ethicon, Inc., et al., Northern District of West Virginia (2022) - assisted trial team in successful defense of product liability claims in pelvic mesh trial.
- Richards v. Ethicon, Inc., et al., Eastern District of Texas (2022) - assisted trial team in successful defense of product liability claims in pelvic mesh trial.
- Dickson v. Ethicon, Inc., et al., Southern District of West Virginia (2020) - obtained summary judgment for manufacturer in product liability action.
- Mallow v. Ethicon, Inc., et al., Western District of Oklahoma (2022) - obtained summary judgment for manufacturer in product liability action.
Overview
Sarah Meadows's practice is focused on the defense of manufacturers in product liability litigation involving prescription drugs and medical devices in state and federal courts throughout the country, including in two of the largest Multi-District Litigations in the history of the federal court system. For the last decade, Sarah has defended Ethicon and Johnson & Johnson in the Pelvic Mesh MDL in the Southern District of West Virginia.
Sarah is involved in all aspects of litigation, including fact witness and expert discovery and depositions, as well as the coordination and preparation of dispositive and Daubert motions. Sarah is the coordinator of Thomas Combs & Spann's motions team, which is part of a larger virtual law firm motions team. In this role, she assigns, reviews, and drafts dispositive, Daubert, and other pretrial motions. Sarah regularly serves on trial teams, supporting trials in product liability actions in federal courts in West Virginia and several other states. In that role, Sarah is responsible for the preparation and litigation of deposition designations, as well as the preparation of outlines for the direct and cross-examination of witnesses at trial. She also prepares corporate representatives for testimony at deposition and trial. Additionally, for more than 10 years Sarah has worked closely with medical and scientific experts from a variety of fields and disciplines. She has vast experience identifying, developing, and preparing expert witnesses for depositions and trial, as well as taking and defending expert depositions.
Sarah has also defended corporations in state court actions involving claims of professional malpractice and alleged violations of the West Virginia Consumer Credit and Protection Act.
Sarah received her J.D. from West Virginia University College of Law, where she competed on the National Moot Court Team. She also received her B.S. from West Virginia University, graduating summa cum laude. Sarah is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia and the United States District Courts for the Northern and Southern Districts of West Virginia.
Representative Cases and Experience
Admitted to Practice
- Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia
- United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia
- United States District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia
Professional Organizations
- Defense Trial Counsel of West Virginia
- Defense Research Institute