A Tennessee woman is suing Cook Medical Inc. alleging a defective IVC filter caused her injuries.
Plaintiff Lori B. alleges that she was implanted with the Cook Celect Vena Cava Filter in 2016 at a Nashville hospital. However, the Cook blood clot filter put her at an increased risk for severe medical complications and even death, says the lawsuit.
Lori joins others who have filed a “Master Complaint” against Cook Inc., Cook Medical LLC, and William Cook Europe ApS over the blood clot filter.
“This Master Complaint is submitted to serve the administrative functions of efficiency and economy and to present certain common claims and common questions of fact and law for appropriate action by or filed in this Court in the context of this Multidistrict proceeding,” the lawsuit states.
According to the Master Complaint, those implanted with an allegedly defective Cook blood clot filter have suffered:
- Emotional trauma
- Harm and injuries that will continue into the future
- Loss of the ability to live a normal life
- Lost earnings now and into the future
- Additional and future medical bills
Patients at risk of deep vein thrombosis were implanted with the Cook blood clot filter, including the Cook Celect the plaintiff was implanted with. The Cook blood clot filter is meant to be retrievable and was implanted to prevent pulmonary emboli.
However, the lawsuit alleges that the Cook blood clot filter is prone to tilting and/or penetrating the surrounding tissue. They have also been known to break and pieces that can migrate to the heart, lungs or even the brain, says the lawsuit.
According to the lawsuit, research has shown that a good portion, 40 percent, of all patients implanted with a Cook blood clot filter suffer from vena cava perforation from the device.
Part of the problem, alleges the lawsuit, is that Cook and other IVC filter makers did not properly research and test their devices before obtaining Food and Drug Administration Approval and sending them to the market. Approval, alleges the lawsuit, was based on approval for permanent blood clot filters.
Doctors and patients should have been warned that Cook blood clot filters are in danger of breaking, tilting, migrating, fracturing, or may not even be able to be removed, alleges the lawsuit, but they were not.
Further, alleges the lawsuit, Cook and the other medical device manufacturers were aware of the risks, but ignored them when marketing the removable blood clot filters. By ignoring these risks, says the lawsuit, the medical device companies recklessly put patients’ lives at stake for profit.
If you or a loved one suffered side effects from a Cook blood clot filter, please contact an experienced McDonald Worley attorney to help you get compensation for your losses and hold these medical device companies responsible.