Cook IVC Filter Lawsuit Claims Jump To 120 Filings Consolidated In MDL

Southern Med Law Investigates IVC Filter Lawsuit Claims Alleging Cooks IVC Filter Could Break And Cause Perforation of the Heart or Lung and Punctured Vena Cava or Perforated Aorta

October 12, 2015 - IVC filter lawsuits continue to be filed in the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Indiana with a large increase of filings over the summer months. The IVC filter lawsuits were filed against Cook Medical Inc.'s Celect IVC filters and Günther Tulip IVC filters. The new complaints continue to purport the same patient injuries that the IVC filter can perforate the vena cava, tilt, break and migrate. Court records show that the number of complaints against the Bloomington, Indiana-based company rose from 102 lawsuit filings as of July 15, to 120 filings, as of August 27.

The retrievable Inferior Vena Cava (IVC) filters lawsuits also contend that Cook's medical devices used to trap blood clots to prevent them from causing a pulmonary embolism are defectively designed, are sometimes difficult to remove, and causes complications to patients. The multidistrict litigation for the Cook IVC filter lawsuits was established in October 2014 with 27 IVC filter lawsuits that were transferred to the Southern Indiana court primarily because Cook's world headquarters is located in that district. (In Re: Cook Medical, Inc., IVC Filters Marketing, Sales, Practices And Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2570)

"The IVC lawsuits filings also allege that Cook failed to provide sufficient warnings and instructions to physicians and their patients about the dangers and adverse effects caused by its filters," says Dr. François Blaudeau, founder of Southern Med Law.

The Firm is currently evaluating legal claims on behalf of patients from around the country who experienced life-threatening complications allegedly due to Cook Medical's IVC filters, including perforation of the heart, lung or other organs, punctured vena cava, perforated aorta and death. If you have been injured by IVC filters contact one of the firm attorneys for a free legal evaluation by calling 205-515-6166 or visit southernmedlaw.com for more information on this and other defective medical devices and to fill out a contact form.

The FDA said in August 2010, that it had received 921 adverse event reports about IVC filters since 2005. Patients complained that the filters migrated from its original position, the components detached from the device, the filter fractured and perforated the IVC, and the filter was difficult to remove. The agency recommended that doctors remove the filters as soon as protection from pulmonary embolism is no longer needed.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) explains that retrievable IVC filters, like Cook's Celect and Günther Tulip filters, are small devices implanted in the vena cava (the main vessel returning blood from the lower half of the body to the heart) to catch or "filter" blood clots that travel from the lower part of the body to the heart and lungs. The purpose of the IVC filters is to prevent pulmonary embolism (blood clots in the lungs) which can be deadly. IVC filters are used by patients who are at risk of a pulmonary embolism, especially those who cannot take anticoagulants and for those who found blood thinners ineffective.
[fda.gov/MedicalDevices/Safety/AlertsandNotices/ucm396377.htm, May 6, 2014]

Contained in the IVC filter lawsuits is a study of of Cook's Günther Tulip and Celect IVC filters that was published in Cardiovascular Interventional Radiology in April 2012. According to the study, 100 percent of the Celect and Günther Tulips examined in the study caused some degree of filter perforation of the venal caval wall after 71 days of implantation. In addition, tilt was seen in 40 percent of the implanted filters. Perforation of the IVC was the rule rather than the exception the longer the filter remained implanted in the patient, according to the study. (In Re: Cook Medical, Inc., IVC Filters Marketing, Sales, Practices And Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2570)

Court documents for IVC filter lawsuits indicate that U.S. District Judge Richard L. Young, who is presiding over MDL 2570, has directed the plaintiffs and defendants to each select two Cook IVC filter lawsuits for consideration as potential bellwether trial cases by mid-March 2016. The parties asked Judge Young to schedule the first bellwether trial no earlier than September 15, 2016, according to court documents. (In Re: Cook Medical, Inc., IVC FIlters Marketing, Sales, Practices And Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2570)

Throughout his career, Dr. Blaudeau has worked hard to develop a strong reputation in healthcare litigation. His first-hand knowledge of medicine has made the Southern Med Law team an aggressive and effective advocate for those who were harmed due to negligent medical device manufacturers. If you or a loved one were injured by a Bard retrievable IVC filter, please contact Southern Med Law today to learn more about your legal rights. Call today for a free, no obligation Bard IVC filter lawsuit review by filling out our online form, or by calling the office directly at 205-547-5525.

Southern Med Law
François M. Blaudeau, MD JD FACHE FCLM Esquire
2224 1st Avenue North
Birmingham, Alabama 35203
Phone: 205-547-5525
Cell: 205-515-6166
Fax: 205-547-5526
francois@southernmedlaw.com
http://www.southernmedlaw.com
Medical Negligence/MedicalDevice/Pharma/Qui Tam

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