Boston Scientific Corp. and Cook Medical Inc., two major manufacturers of inferior vena cava (IVC) filters, are facing lawsuits in Kentucky federal court over allegations that their filters have caused serious injuries to patients. According to a news report on Law360, the lawsuits allege that these IVC filters loosened and shifted from their original placements, or have caused blockages in injured patients who had deep vein thrombosis or blood clots. A 2013 Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) research study observed the managing and complications of IVC filters in over 900 patients. Approximately 680 patients received retrievable IVC filters, and doctors were only able to successfully remove 58 of them.
Why Are Lawsuits Being Filed?
One lawsuit filed recently by a woman claims that Boston Scientific’s IVC filters caused her to experience pain in her thigh and lower abdomen. She also suffered several blood clots, the very condition the filters were thought to prevent. A scan later showed that the IVC filters had moved from their desired locations. Another woman alleged in her lawsuit that Cook Medical’s IVC filters gave her chronic back and lower extremity pain. Her doctors were able to find that, much like the previous case, a number of blood clots had formed since the implantation of the IVC filter. Other suits claim that the manufacturers negligently designed the filters that are implanted in patients who desire to prevent the blood clots from traveling to the lungs, a condition known as pulmonary embolism, which could become fatal.
Are There Recent FDA Warnings on IVC Filters?
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning in August, 2010 to medical professionals cautioning that the filters should be removed as soon as the risk of clotting has been eliminated. This warning came after the FDA received approximately 1,000 adverse event reports involving the devices since 2005. IVC filters are dangerous because they can become detached or pieces of the devices can fracture and migrate around the body puncturing organs and causing internal bleeding, which could prove lethal. This is because these devices are designed to be removed after a few weeks. However, due to their poor design, they often become extremely difficult or impossible to remove because they shift inside the patient’s body causing a lot of damage including rupturing vital organs.
In July 2015, the FDA sent out a warning letter to Bard indicating that they were in violations of several regulations including failure to conduct proper quality inspections. Some of the most common side effects involving IVC filters include organ perforation, pulmonary embolism, chronic or severe pain, internal bleeding and death.
Contact an IVC Filter Lawyer
If you or someone you know has suffered harmful side effects after the inserting of IVC Filters, you may be able to receive compensation for your medical bills, lost income and pain and suffering, among other losses. Our firm is working with experienced IVC Filter lawyers, who are investigating these cases. They may be able to file an IVF Filter lawsuit for you and they charge no fee unless you win an award or settlement. For a free (no obligation) case evaluation, call our toll free number at 1-800-992-6878 or fill out a contact form online.
Source: law360.com/articles/793564/boston-scientific-cook-medical-face-vein-filter-suits
Paul d’Oliveira
Attorney Paul d’Oliveira has been practicing personal injury and disability law for over 30 years. He started his personal injury law practice in 1989 with two offices in Fall River, MA and East Providence, RI. Today his firm has 16 offices in RI and Southeastern, MA.
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