Medical Company Sells Blood Filter that Kills Patients

A recent investigation has revealed more distressing news about medical devicemanufacturer C.R. Bard and itsBard IV filters.

The original Bard Recovery® filter””which was found to be defective””as well as its replacement G2® filter, have both fallen under harsh scrutiny after 27 people died from complications linked to both versions of the blood clot filters.

Blood clot filters are tiny, spider-shaped medical devices that are implanted inside a patient’s vein in order to prevent blood clots from reaching a patient’s heart, lungs, or brain, where a clot is likely to cause death.

Bard Records Indicate Knowledge of Filters’ Defects

Confidential records from C.R. Bard, which were obtained during an investigation, revealed the company first became aware its Recovery® filters were defective in 2002.

However, Bard did not issue a recall for its Recovery® filters; but instead, continued selling them for three years before replacing them with a similar filter called a G2®.

Bard had hoped its replacement G2® filters would solve issues associated with its Recovery® filters, despite the replacement filter’s extreme similarity to its faulty predecessor. Yet, additional C.R. Bard records and hundreds of FDA reports indicated the G2® series did not solve the problems associated with the company’s first filter.

The records also showed the company learned its replacement filters were defective a mere four months after they began selling them in 2002. Yet instead of recalling the G2® filters, C.R. Bard opted to keep them on the market until 2010, selling more than 160,000 in the U.S.

At least 12 people have died and hundreds more have suffered complications as a result of the faulty replacement filters, according to Bard and FDA records.

Potentially Deadly Side Effects of Bard Blood Clot Filters

Studies commissioned by C.R. Bard, as well as FDA officials, show the medical device company’s filters present the following potentially deadly risks:

• Filter Fractures.The filters are susceptible to tiny cracks that can, over time, cause the filter to break into tiny pieces and float through a patient’s blood, potentially lodging in the heart.
• Movement.Easily dislodged, the filters can travel to a patient’s lungs, where they can become stuck and severely impede breathing, among other complications.
• Perforation.Instability in the filters’ design can cause them to rub against the walls of a vein, which can cause tears or tiny holes that allow blood to flow out of the vein.

Each year, blood clot filters are implanted in an estimated 250,000 U.S. patients, with millions of such filters being implanted in Americans within the past ten years. C.R. Bard is one of 11 medical device manufacturers that produce these types of filters.

If you are concerned about aBard blood clot filterthat you or someone you love has had implanted, contact the personal injury lawyers in Phoenix at Phillips Law Group today. We believe manufacturers of dangerous medical devices should be held accountable when their products cause harm to consumers, particularly when they had prior knowledge of the dangers associated with their use.

For a free evaluation of your claim, call 1-800-706-3000 or fill out our FREE Case Review Form.