As with any medical device, a patient expects that the device has been appropriately tested in order to ensure its safe. However, a Kansas man has filed a new Eclipse IVC Filter lawsuit by arguing that the manufacturer was responsible for making and selling a defective medical device without giving patients or doctors the opportunity to understand the safety risks. The lawsuit was filed in Kansas after the patient had the device implanted in 2012.
IVC Filter Safety Risks Questioned by Patients
The purpose of the IVC filter was to capture blood clots that are traveling through the veins before they hit the heart or the lungs to cause a pulmonary embolism.
As named in the IVC filter safety lawsuit, the manufacturer CR Bard is charged with 14 separate counts of negligence, for failing to warn about side effects, selling a defective medical device on the market, violations of state law associated with consumer fraud, fraudulent concealment, breach of express and implied warranty as well as misrepresentation.
Common Dangers with IVC Filters
The use of IVC filters has increased in recent years. In 1979, only around 2,000 patients received these medical devices, but that number increased to more than 167,000 in 2007. Patients who are unable to use blood-thinning medication or those taking that medication without optimal results are most likely to become candidates for IVC filters. For patients at risk of developing a life-threatening blood clot, IVC filters are often presented as one way to curb that risk effectively. As more reports are filed, however, serious side effects may endanger the patient’s life, too.
Some of the most common causes of IVC filter problems have to do with the filter fracturing and the struts traveling into the heart.
Some of the symptoms that patients should be aware of include confusion, chest pain, neck pain, nausea, shortness of breath, lightheadedness, and an abnormally rapid heart rate.
As IVC filter safety concerns have increased due to alarming numbers of adverse event reports being filed directly with the FDA, consumers are beginning to come forward to initiate investigations and lawsuits.
Back in 2010, an original communication was released about IVC filter safety but that was followed up in May of 2014 due to more adverse event reports being filed. Filter fracture can occur in many different ways but can be a serious problem for any patient who has had an IVC filter implanted because the device pieces could be free floating in the blood stream.
The shard can be embedded in the lungs or in the heart which can cause severe problems including death. Device migration can lead to embolization of the entire device in which the whole device travels up the IVC into an individual’s heart, leading to fatal injuries.
If you or someone you know has been seriously injured as a result of an IVC filter, the lawyers at McDonald Worley are currently investigating claims. Fill out the form on this page to receive a free case review.