Medical Device
Lawyer
When a defective medical device causes injury or death, a lawsuit may help victims receive compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain, and suffering, and other damages. Our medical attorneys represent individuals or loved ones of those who have been harmed by defective medical devices and have filed lawsuits against the manufacturers of those devices.
Medical Device Lawsuits
Beasley Allen’s medical device lawyers are currently investigating lawsuits involving injury or death related to the following defective medical devices:
Hip Replacements
Some older artificial hips used during hip replacements, made within the last decade, use a metal cup liner designed to be more durable than cup liners made with other materials. However, many metal-on-metal hip implants have failed prematurely – often within five years of implantation.
The devices have also been shown to release metal ions into the bloodstream; a condition called metallosis, which causes inflammation and bone erosion.
Physicians advise people who have undergone hip replacements and have, or think they have, a metal-on-metal implant to contact their orthopedic surgeon even if the joint appears to be functioning well to rule out premature failure or metallosis.
If you have received a hip replacement and needed revision surgery or suffered from metallosis and other side effects, contact us today about filing a lawsuit to get the compensation you deserve.
Recalled CPAP Devices
Philips Respironics recalled several of its CPAP, BiLevel PAP (BiPAP), and ventilator machines used to treat sleep apnea and other respiratory conditions after receiving several consumer complaints about the presence of black debris within the device’s air pathway, as well as reports of headache, upper airway irritation, cough, chest pressure, and sinus infection in users of the devices.
Those reports led to the discovery that the PE-PUR “sound abatement” foam Philips used to minimize noise in several CPAP, BiPAP, and ventilator machines posed serious health risks to users.
If you or a loved one has experienced CPAP side effects such as asthma, chronic respiratory illness, lung cancer, kidney disease, or kidney cancer after using a recalled Philips CPAP, BiPAP, or ventilator machine, you may be eligible for a Philips CPAP Recall Lawsuit. You may also qualify if you have experienced a worsening breathing condition after using these recalled CPAP machines. Contact Beasley Allen’s product liability lawyer Beau Darley for a free consultation.
What is a medical device?
Medical devices range from simple instruments such as tongue depressors and thermometers to retail or prescribed devices such as blood sugar meters and surgically implanted devices like artificial hips and surgical mesh. They are designed to restore health and improve quality of life.
According to a NASDAQ industry analysis, worldwide sales of medical devices are predicted to reach $800 billion by 2030. The United States currently leads the world market with more than $180 billion in annual revenues, and the medical device industry remains optimistic about future growth.
What is a defective medical device?
In a terrible twist, a medical device that promises to help patients can do just the opposite and cause a serious, permanent injury and even death. This can occur when medical device manufacturers don’t thoroughly test their products for safety and efficacy or skimp on manufacturing protocols. This can result in injuries such as infection, inflammation, and rejection of an implant that led to complications, pain, illness, and even death.
Defective medical devices are responsible for thousands of injuries and deaths each year. According to the Investigational Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), there were more than 1.7 million injuries and nearly 83,000 deaths suspected of being linked to medical devices reported in the U.S. over the past 10 years.
The manufacturer frequently recalls failed devices.
Recalls
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) oversees the marketing of medical devices in the United States and ensures each offers a “reasonable assurance of safety and effectiveness.” When a medical device manufacturer learns that there is a problem with one of its medical devices, the company is expected to issue a recall to correct or remove the defective medical device and inform the FDA.
There are three classes of medical device recalls:
Class I: Involves a situation where there is a reasonable chance that a product will cause serious health problems or death.
Class II: Involves a situation where a product may cause a temporary or reversible health problem or a slight chance that it will cause serious health problems or death.
Class III: Involves a situation where a product is not likely to cause any health problem or injury.
Types of Medical Devices
Retail or prescribed medical devices
These medical devices are also sometimes called home health devices or home medical services. These devices may be purchased over-the-counter by the patient in retail stores such as drugstores and stores specializing in home health equipment. They may also be prescribed by and used under the care of licensed practitioners, including doctors, dentists, optometrists, or veterinarians.
These medical devices include various prostheses, ventilators, sleep apnea monitors, respiratory disease management services, sickle cell tests, and ultrasound monitors. In some jurisdictions, hypodermic syringes may fall under this classification.
Surgically implanted medical devices
Surgically implanted medical devices are human-made products usually made of biomedical materials such as titanium, silicone, apatite, plastic, ceramic, or other materials that should not interfere with or irritate existing biological structures.
Examples include:
- Hip implants
- Shoulder implants
- Pins, rods, screws, and plates used to hold fractured bones together as they heal
- Pacemakers
- Cochlear implants
- Drug delivery devices such as stents or insulin pumps
- Surgical mesh, including transvaginal mesh and hernia mesh
In a terrible twist, a medical device that promises to help patients can do just the opposite, and cause a serious, permanent injury and even death. This can occur when medical device manufacturers don’t thoroughly test their products for safety and efficacy or skimp on manufacturing protocols. This can result in injuries such as infection, inflammation, and rejection of an implant that led to complications, pain, illness, and even death. If you have been injured by a defective medical device, contact us today about filing a lawsuit to get the compensation you deserve.
Contact a Medical Device Attorney
Our medical device attorneys are privileged to represent individuals harmed by defective medical devices. Our attorneys are honored to be among an exclusive group of trial lawyers willing and able to stand against medical device companies. Our team of experienced attorneys represents victims with a wide range of injuries against many different companies that manufacture and market defective medical devices. All too often, we find that the top priority of device makers is profit, not patient health. Rather than readily investigate potential safety problems, they are slow to examine and even slower to admit a device is defective or dangerous.
If a defective medical device has injured you or a loved one, let us provide the strength you need to obtain justice. We will work closely with you as together we fight to make things right. If you feel you have a claim, our attorneys would like to talk to you. You may be entitled to compensation. Contact us today for a free, no-obligation legal consultation.
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