Class Actions

Reputable IVC Filter Lawsuit Attorney

Many people with a high risk of developing blood clots are implanted with Bard inferior vena cava (IVC) filters to help prevent clots from traveling to the heart and lungs, where they can be deadly. The problem is that these devices often break apart and travel to other parts of the body, which can cause severe injury or death.

It is important for you to understand your rights if you suffered an injury or lost a loved one due to complications from one of these devices. A defective medical device lawyer may be able to file an IVC filter lawsuit to try to obtain compensation for medical bills, pain and suffering, and other damages you have suffered.

The attorneys at The Law Offices of Peter T. Nicholl offer a free legal consultation to discuss the merits of your case. There are no fees or costs for representing you unless we recover fair compensation for your case.

Fill out a Free Case Evaluation form today to discuss a potential IVC filter lawsuit.

What are IVC Filters?

IVC filters are composed of several metal arms that are designed to catch blood clots. They are small enough to be implanted in the inferior vena cava, which is the large vein that carries blood to the heart. The filter is designed to catch blood clots traveling through this vein and prevent them from reaching the heart or lungs.

Doctors often implant Bard IVC filters in patients who have a high risk of developing blood clots. Some of the factors that put someone at high risk for blood clots include:

Patients who fit any of these criteria need to take extra precautions to prevent deep vein thrombosis, which happens when a blood clot develops in the veins of one of the patient’s legs. These clots can break off and move into the lungs, which is also called a pulmonary embolism. These clots could be fatal or result in severe injuries, like a stroke or heart attack.

Some patients are given medications, including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and blood thinners like Xarelto, to prevent blood clots from forming. However, some patients cannot take blood thinners and are instead receive IVC filters.

Contact our attorneys about an IVC filter lawsuit.

Bard IVC Filter Complications

Bard IVC filters were not designed to be left in patients’ bodies permanently, which is why the FDA released a drug safety communication in 2010 advising doctors to remove these devices as soon as the risk of a blood clot has gone down to a more normal level.

The drug safety communication expressed concern that devices were not being removed when they were supposed to be, which increases the risk of device failure, which can cause pieces of the filter to break off and cause a variety of injuries, including:

An NBC News report released in September 2015, revealed that at least 27 deaths were linked to IVC filters. The report also said that government data revealed that 300 people suffered non-fatal injuries due to these devices.

Signs of Device Failure

If you were implanted with an IVC filter, you should closely monitor your physical condition for any sign that the device has failed and is causing an injury.

Common signs that you are suffering complications from an IVC filter include:

You should seek immediate medical attention if you experience any of these symptoms. Failing to do so could put your life in danger, because if your condition progresses, doctors may have fewer treatment options.

If you find out that your health problems were caused by a failed IVC filter, contact our dangerous drug attorneys for a free legal consultation. We may be able to file an IVC filter lawsuit to attempt to hold the manufacturer liable for distributing a dangerous product or failing to warn you or your doctor about the risks.

Complete a Free Case Evaluation form or call 410-244-7005.

Studies Show IVC Filters are Dangerous

Multiple studies have shown that Bard IVC filters can cause injuries to patients, particularly if these devices are not retrieved when they should be.

One study from 2012 revealed that leaving a Bard IVC filter inside of a patient for an extended period of time can cause perforation of the vena cava. All patients who had filters for 71 days had some degree of vena cava perforation. These devices were tilted in 40 percent of the patients studied, and all tilted filters caused some degree of vena cava penetration.

This research was published in the peer-review journal Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiology. Researchers studied medical records of more than 250 patients who had these filters implanted between July 2007 and May 2009.

One year later, the Journal of the American Medical Association published a study of 952 patients who received these filters over a two-year period between 2011 and 2013. There were 74 patients who suffered thrombotic events after receiving the filters. Researchers also found that 48 percent of blood clotting events occurred in patients without venous thromboembolism when the filter was placed in their bodies.

Bard conducted a study of the filters after the NBC News report came out. The study revealed that the device had a higher risk of fracture, migration, organ perforation and death than originally thought.

Our Bard IVC filter injury attorneys can use these studies to help us build a case for why the manufacturer was negligent with this medical device. This could help us establish that the manufacturer is liable for your physical, financial and emotional damages.

Contact The Law Offices of Peter T. Nicholl today to discuss an IVC filter lawsuit.

IVC Filter Lawsuits

Bard is currently facing thousands of lawsuits from those who have been injured or lost loved ones due to complications from Bard IVC filters. These lawsuits make a variety of allegations against Bard and its subsidiaries, such as:

All of the federal Bard IVC filter lawsuits that had been filed were consolidated into a Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) by the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation in August 2015. As of November 2017, there were more than 3,000 lawsuits pending in this MDL.

That same month, the judge who oversees the MDL denied Bard’s request to have all cases dismissed. The company unsuccessfully argued that federal law prohibited these cases because the filters had been approved by the FDA.

Even though the cases were consolidated, they are still tried separately, which means victims are entitled to their own individual settlement.

None of the cases in the MDL have gone to trial yet, but some other cases have been settled for undisclosed amounts. This includes a 2013 settlement of a case involving a woman who suffered heart problems after an IVC filter migrated to her heart. She must now take blood thinners for the rest of her life to help lower the risk of a life-threatening clot.

Another case was settled in 2014 involving a woman who suffered damage to her heart and lungs after the device migrated to those parts of her body. She sought compensation for a variety of damages, including disability, disfigurement and emotional trauma.

There was a third settlement in 2015 in a case filed by a man whose heart was perforated by the device. He needed to have open heart surgery, which required a lengthy recovery.

Contact an attorney to find out if you can file an IVC filter lawsuit. We offer a free legal consultation and there are no fees or costs for our services unless we obtain compensation.

Call our attorneys today at 410-244-7005.

Schedule a Consultation to Discuss an IVC Filter Lawsuit

Our attorneys understand how devastating an injury from a Bard IVC filter can be, as it can result in long-term injury and the need for expensive medical treatment.

We are prepared to represent you in an IVC filter lawsuit to recover fair compensation to pay for all of the damages you have suffered. We also want to make sure the manufacturer is held accountable for putting a dangerous product out on the market.

Schedule a free legal consultation today with a Bard IVC filter injury attorney.