Multi-Million Dollar Verdicts Awarded in IVC Filter Cases
An Indianapolis, Indiana jury recently awarded plaintiff, Tonya Brand three million dollars in damages against Cook Medical for injuries resulting from a defective inferior vena cava (IVC) filter produced by Cook Medical. Earlier this year, an Arizona jury awarded nearly four million dollars to a plaintiff that suffered injuries due to an IVC filter produced by Bard. Cook Medical, and C.R. Bard, Inc., are the two primary manufacturers of IVC filters.
IVC filters are supposed to prevent blood clots from traveling to a person’s heart and lungs. IVC filters are surgically implanted in the inferior vena cava which is a vein that takes blood from the lower body to the heart. IVC filters are generally used when a person has or is at risk for developing deep vein thrombosis.
In the Indiana case against Cook Medical, the plaintiff alleged that a Cook IVC inserted prior to spinal fusion broke apart and a portion broke through the vein and skin of her thigh. Another piece was found to have lodged near her spine.
The plaintiff in the Arizona case, Sherr Una-Booker alleged that the implanted IVC filter manufactured by Bard tilted to penetrate the IVC’s wall and fractured, lodging a part of the filter in the plaintiff’s heart. Surgery had to be performed which caused damage to the tricuspid heart valve, necessitating a subsequent open surgical repair.
To date, over 10,000 lawsuits have been filed against manufacturers of IVC filters. If you believe you might have suffered an injury due to an IVC Filter, contact attorney Russ Purvis at Tieman, Spencer & Hicks, LLC. The laws governing IVC filter lawsuits are complex. Your ability to recover the damages that you deserve can be impacted by guessing, and potentially lost if you delay taking action.
