Update: Bard Ordered to Pay $3.6 Million in First IVC Filter Bellwether Trial
April 4, 2018 – A federal jury in Arizona on Friday ordered C.R. Bard, Inc. to pay $3.6 million to a Georgia woman who suffered serious complications after the company’s G2 IVC filter fractured inside her after being implanted. The plaintiff, Sherr-Una Booker, received the Bard G2 filter in 2007, and shortly thereafter the device fractured, tilted and migrated inside her body, causing one of its limbs to perforate her inferior vena cava, according to the suit.
Overview
IVC filters are cone-shaped medical devices that have legs or “struts” designed to intercept and trap blood clots before they reach the lungs. The filters are typically placed in patients at risk of developing a pulmonary embolism and who are unable to take anticoagulant medications.
What’s the Problem?
In April 2003, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approved the Bard Recovery IVC filter. After receiving numerous reports of broken filters, the company redesigned the device and released the Bard G2 IVC filter in October 2005. This model was intended to be more resistant to fractures than the Recovery, but it too has been linked to multiple reports of IVC filter fracture, migration and other complications.
NBC News Investigates Injuries, Death Associated with Bard IVC Filters
The results of a year-long investigation into C.R. Bard and its IVC filters was recently aired in a 2-part report on NBC Nightly News. Part One of the report detailed alleged defects with the devices, while Part Two suggests that the company may have forged signatures to get its Recovery filter approved. Click here to learn more.
IVC Filter Complications
- IVC Filter Fracture
- Perforation, Puncture or Serious Damage to the Heart, Lungs or Vena Cava
- Internal Bleeding
- Cardiac or Pericardial Tamponade
- Ventricle Tachycardia
- Lower Limb Deep Vein Thrombosis
- Hematoma or Nerve Injury at the Puncture Site
- Constant and Severe Pain in the Heart, Chest or Elsewhere in the Body
- Pulmonary Embolism
- Infection
- Death
Has a Bard IVC Filter Class Action Been Filed?
Yes. At least 3 class action lawsuits have been filed against Bard Medical alleging that its Recovery and G2 IVC filters are defective and have caused recipients serious injuries. Each complaint involves nearly identical allegations that Bard knew about the devices’ potential to cause adverse health complications, but that it failed to adequately warn about these risks.
As evidence that Bard knew about the problems with its IVC filters, the class actions point to the company’s newest device, the Eclipse IVC filter, which is identical to the G2 except that it has been redesigned to make it stronger and less likely to fracture. The lawsuits seek compensation from Bard to pay for medical monitoring the patients will require to ensure that the IVC filters have not fractured or broken in their bodies as long as they remain in place.
New Jersey Woman Files Lawsuit Over Bard IVC Filter Complications
June 20, 2016 – A woman from New Jersey who was allegedly injured after receiving a Meridian vena cava filter has filed a lawsuit (PDF) against Bard. Plaintiff brings counts of negligence, failure to warn, design and manufacturing defects, breach of warranties and consumer fraud against the manufacturer. The case was filed into the Bard IVC Filter multidistrict litigation (MDL 15-02641-PHX DGC) in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona.
Do I Have a Bard IVC Filter Class Action Lawsuit?
The Medical Device Litigation Group at our law firm is an experienced team of trial lawyers that focus on the representation of plaintiffs in Bard IVC Filter Lawsuits. We are handling individual litigation nationwide and currently accepting new injury and death cases in all 50 states.
Free Confidential Lawsuit Evaluation: If you or a loved one has had an IVC filter implanted, you should contact our law firm immediately. Our lawyers are evaluating every individual case regardless of whether you have been injured or not. So, if you have received an IVC filter implant, we would like to speak with you. You may be entitled to compensation by filing a lawsuit against the manufacturer and our lawyers can help.