You may have heard about the recent IVC filter recall. If you or a loved one has had an IVC filter implanted and suffered due to its malfunction, you may be entitled to damages. IVC filters are implanted to stop blood clots from traveling through the body. The blood clots that IVC filters were designed to combat often travel to the heart or lungs and can be deadly. Most filters do prevent these blood clots from causing serious damage. However, many of the filters later break loose and travel through the body, which can result in injury to various blood vessels or even death. To read more about the FDA’s action on the case and what you can do if you or a loved one is affected, see below.
The FDA is taking action
The FDA has issued a safety alert warning people of the danger caused by these IVC filters. For a situation to get to the point where the FDA issues a safety alert, it must be quite serious. According to the FDA, surgeons should remove the filters as soon as the threat of pulmonary embolism has passed. The company that manufactures the filters has started a recall. However, due to the extremely high failure rate and the severe physical damage caused by these failures, there are still grounds for class-action lawsuits.
The severity of the problem
Over 900 IVC filter malfunctions have been reported. Many of these malfunctions have resulted in serious injury or even death. To treat a patient that has a malfunctioning filter often requires open heart surgery. Obviously, this surgery is dangerous and sometimes results in death. Compounding this is the fact that patients who need IVC filters installed are in significantly worse health than the average person. The risk of serious complications increases as the length of time the filter is in the body increases.
What your options are
If you or a loved one are affected by the IVC filter recall, you do have options. The first thing to keep in mind is that you are not alone. There are hundreds of other families going through the same thing that you are. You can join together with them to get justice for you and your loved one’s pain and suffering. There are attorneys with significant relevant experience that are putting together class-action lawsuits. It will not cost you anything to become part of a class-action suit. The attorneys are compensated with a percentage of the settlement. As there is a great deal of evidence regarding the faultiness of the IVC filters and the manufacturer’s prior knowledge of the problems, there is a good chance that a settlement will follow in short order. This isn’t about making money. This is about getting justice for willful negligence that caused pain and suffering.