Defective Medical Devices Cause Harm
A new medical device seems to come on the market every day. Many of these products are beneficial and improve the quality of our lives. However, poorly designed or improperly tested medical devices can do tremendous harm.
Medical manufacturers reap great financial profits from successful medical products and have a responsibility to ensure that medical devices are safe and effective. Unfortunately, too many medical devices have injured unsuspecting and innocent consumers.
GranuFlo Dialysis-Related Heart Attack
Due to high bicarbonate levels, the kidney dialysis solution GranuFlo has been linked to a six-fold increase in the risk of cardiac arrest as well as other cardiopulmonary problems.
Guidant Heart Defibrillators
Many heart defibrillators made by Guidant pose serious safety issues. A defibrillator normally provides a shock to the heart that restores natural heart rhythm. However, some Guidant defibrillators may malfunction, and not be able to regulate heart rhythm. This can have serious health consequences.
Medtronic Infuse
The Medtronic Infuse is properly used for anterior approach lumbar spinal fusion surgery. Despite FDA warnings against off-label use in the lateral or posterior approach lumbar or cervical spine areas, many doctors have performed spinal surgeries in this manner without informing patients of the risks. Side effects include radiculopathy, sterility, ectopic bone growth, chronic pain, and death.Defective VehicleSerious injury or death can result from certain defective vehicle failures, such as rollovers, roof crush, fire, unintended acceleration, park-to-reverse, seatbelt failure, or air bag malfunction.
Other Defective Medical Devices
Other defective medical device problems may involve:
- pacemakers (stopped or failed to keep proper heart rhythm, posing a threat to life)
- Dalkon Shield intrauterine devices (IUDs) used for birth control (resulted in high rates of pelvic disease);
- silicone gel breast implants (ruptures were associated with the development of fibromyalgia);
- various heart valve implants (leakage and strut fractures caused repeated surgeries or heart failure);
- hip replacement parts (defects led to severe hip pain and loss of balance);
- improperly sterilized gynecological devices such as curettes, uterine dilators, and biopsy pipettes marketed as sterile. Lack of sterilization can cause infection, infertility, and miscarriage.
- video bronchoscopes. A bronchoscope is a flexible tube with a small light and camera used to evaluate the lungs for disease. Loose biopsy ports on bronchoscopes made by Olympus America resulted in bacterial infections.
- kidney dialysis filters used to cleanse patients' blood (chemical testing solution may have contaminated the filter, and led to patient deaths.)
Brayton Purcell has represented hundreds of plaintiffs in medical device cases, including people injured by artificial implants, intrauterine devices and coronary surgery equipment. We will continue to fight to make medical device manufacturers accountable to the public for defective medical devices and to protect our injured clients. If you or a member of your family has been a victim of an unsafe medical device, please feel free to contact us to learn about your legal options.
