A hernia mesh lawsuit could take up to 5 years or even longer. It is impossible to predict how long it will take for a mesh victim to be compensated via settlement/ jury verdict or for the victim's case to be decided. In the beginning stages, the surgical mesh law firm must obtain medical records, review them and assess the case. Once a hernia mesh lawsuit is filed, it could take several years before the cause of action is scheduled for a trial. After the trial, if the victim prevails, the mesh manufacturer could file an appeal. The appellate process could add additional years onto the process. If the mesh lawsuit is part of multidistrict litigation, there are often bellwether trials as well as a long discovery process. The discover process is when tens of thousands of documents and records are produced. If there is a hernia mesh settlement accepted by the surgical mesh victim, the process is short- circuited and the victim is compensated. A hernia settlement could occur at anytime during the mesh lawsuit. If the lawsuit is part of a consolidated multidistrict litigation, the mesh manufacturer may wait 2 to 3 years so that the vast majority of potential claims are filed before reaching a global settlement of pending claims. The mesh manufacturers may wait until there have been some bellwether trials to see which way the wind is blowing. They hope to win one or more bellwether trials to get leverage against the victim's hernia mesh law firms.