Inferior vena cava (IVC) filters have long been known to pose serious health risks. The devices, which are intended to prevent blood clots from forming in and traveling through the body, have on many occasions been observed to cause more harm than good. In 2010, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a safety alert warning about the dangers of long-term IVC filter use. The agency stated that it received 921 adverse event reports about IVC filters beginning in 2005, ranging from device migration to perforation of the inferior vena cava.
There are several manufacturers of IVC filters; along with C. R. Bard, Cook Group is the one of the largest. Like Bard, Cook has come under fire in recent years for its defectively designed IVC filters. The majority of Cook IVC filter lawsuits revolve around the company’s Celect and Gunther Tulip devices. These devices have been found to pose serious health risks. For instance, a study published in the April 2012 issue of CardioVascular and Interventional Radiology found that of the 50 Gunther Tulip and Celect IVC filters observed, all exhibited some degree of vena caval perforation after 71 days.
Patients injured by failed Cook IVC filters have begun filing lawsuits. Plaintiffs in Cook IVC filter lawsuits allege that Cook introduced defective and potentially dangerous products to the market without adequately warning doctors and patients of the serious health complications they may cause.
Consult your doctor or physician about any health concerns you may have. The lawyers at Lopez McHugh have experience representing patients who were harmed by defective IVC filters.
Earlier this year, Lopez McHugh attorneys, including partner Ramon Rossi Lopez, successfully represented a plaintiff in the second Bard IVC filter lawsuit in the nation to proceed to trial.
If you or a loved one was injured by a faulty Bard or Cook IVC filter, contact Lopez McHugh immediately for a free legal consultation. You may qualify for compensation through a Bard or Cook IVC filter lawsuit.
