CR Bard has been accused of developing and marketing a defective vena cava filter that injured an Oklahoma woman.
The vena cava filter lawsuit claims plaintiff Jeannette R. was implanted with the Pelvicol Acellular Collagen Matrix in 2012 at a Oklahoma hospital.
According to the complaint, both the patient and her doctors were unaware of the risks presented by Bard’s vena cava filter up to and including the possibility of death.
The vena cava filter lawsuit alleges that patients suffered severe injuries after being implanted with the Pelvicol Acellular Collagen Matrix as well as other Bard IVC filters.
Defective IVC Filters Prompt Litigation
Jeannette is one of many joining a master complaint against CR Bard. According to the master complaint, plaintiffs across the country are seeking damages for “wrongful death of a spouse, child, parent, or other legally-cognizable relationship; pain and suffering; bodily injuries of any type (including, without limitation, perforation of organs and venous structures, thromboembolic events, and cardiovascular injuries); disability; impairment; scarring; disfigurement; dismemberment; physical; emotional and psychological trauma; anxiety; diminished capacity; loss of consortium; hedonic damages; past medical expenses; future medical expenses; caregiving costs; lost wages; loss of earning capacity; and any other form of damages under the law of any forum which governs any individual case.”
“An IVC filter is a device that is designed to filter or ‘catch’ blood clots that travel from the lower portions of the body to the heart and lungs. IVC filters were originally designed to be permanently implanted in the IVC,” explains the vena cava filter lawsuit.
Bard and other medical device companies wanted to increase the market for vena cava filters by developing and marketing temporary filters, alleges the lawsuit. They received Food and Drug Administration approval for temporary vena cava filters in 2003. However, alleges the lawsuit, this approval was “obtained despite lack of adequate testimony on the safety and efficacy of the new line of devices.”
According to the vena cava filter lawsuit, studies conducted since 2003 indicate that the temporary filters carry a much higher risk to patients than initially reported by Bard.
“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,” points out the vena cava filter lawsuit.
The study results were alarming, states the vena cava filter lawsuit. They showed that “without any question that IVC filters are not only utterly ineffective but that they are themselves a health hazard,” including that:
- “Almost twice the percentage of patients with IVC filters in the study died compared to those that had not received them.
- Over five times the relative number of patients with IVC filters developed DVTs.
- Over four times the relative percentage of patients with filters developed thromboemboli.
- Over twice the percentage of patients developed a pulmonary embolus – the very condition Bard told the FDA, physicians, and the public that its IVC Filters were designed to prevent.”
If you or a loved one have been harmed by a defective filter, an experienced McDonald Worley attorney can help you file a vena cava filter lawsuit. Pursuing litigation may help you recover expenses and compensate you for your pain and suffering. Call today, the case evaluation is free!