A Florida patient has joined the master complaint against Bard over the Meridian Vena Cava Filter he received.
Plaintiff Michael G. alleges that the CR Bard vena cava filter was implanted on May 29, 2013 while he was residing in Florida. The plaintiff claims the companies that manufactured the IVC filter failed to warn patients and doctors about severe side effects that can be caused by the device, including severe pain, hemorrhage, cardiac/pericardial tamponade, perforations of tissue, and even death.
“The IVC is a vein that returns blood to the heart from the lower portions of the body,” explains the lawsuit. “In certain people, for various reasons, blood clots travel from the vessels in the legs and pelvis, through the vena cava and into the lungs. Oftentimes, these blood clots develop in the deep leg veins, a condition called ‘deep vein thrombosis’ or ‘DVT.’ Once blood clots reach the lungs, they are considered ‘pulmonary emboli’ or ‘PE.’ Pulmonary emboli present risks to human health.”
According to the master complaint, IVC filters were introduced in the 1960s to help filter those blood clots. The CR Bard vena cava filter was introduced along with other removable IVC filters in the past two decades and was marketed to patients who were temporarily at risk for developing DVT or PE.
“Specifically, Bard targeted the bariatric, trauma, orthopedic and cancer patient population. Expansion to these new patient groups would triple sales and the first manufacturer to market would capture market share,” the CR Bard vena cava filter lawsuit states..
However, alleges the complaint, the effectiveness of the CR Bard vena cava filter and other removable IVC filters were not properly studied and researched by Bard.
“Bard’s retrievable IVC filters have been plagued with problems – all created by Bard itself – most notably, the absence of any evidence that the products were effective in preventing pulmonary embolism (the very condition the product was indicated to prevent),” alleges the complaint.
In fact, the CR Bard vena cava filter lawsuit states that scientists have studied the effectiveness of retrievable IVC filters and discovered that they actually increase the risks related to the development of blood clots.
“As recently as October 2015, an expansive article published in the Annals of Surgery concerning trauma patients inserted with IVC filters concluded that IVC filters were not effective in preventing pulmonary emboli, and instead actually caused thrombi to occur,” the lawsuit claims.
The complaint alleges that Bard failed to conduct the necessary research to ensure the CR Bard vena cava filters were safe and also failed to warn doctors and patients about the likelihood of severe sides effects.
Problems with CR Bard Vena Cava Filters
Patients with IVC filters have reported chest pain and shortness of breath. CR Bard vena cava filters have been known to migrate or shed pieces within patients. Anyone with a CR Bard vena cava filter experiencing problems should call their doctor immediately.
Additionally, those who have experienced severe medical complications after being implanted with a CR Bard vena cava filter should contact an experienced attorney.
The attorneys at McDonald Worley may be able to help you obtain financial compensation for needless pain and suffering. Call today for a free case evaluation.