U.S. District Judge Young, who is overseeing the federal multidistrict litigation (MDL) for lawsuits filed over Cook Medical’s defective IVC filters, announced that ten Cook Medical IVC filter lawsuits have been chosen as bellwether trials to begin in late 2016. Bellwether trials are early trials that determine the strength of multiple claims against one defendant company and help set the tone for future trials.

Our defective medical device lawyers are keeping a close eye on these trials as they will help determine the outcome to many similar claims. We are currently accepting free case evaluations for patients and families who have suffered as a result of IVC filters made by manufacturing companies such as Cook and Bard. To find out if you qualify to seek compensation for injuries linked to an IVC filter, contact us today.

Problems with Cook IVC Filters

Inferior vena cava (IVC) filters are small devices that are implanted in patients at risk for pulmonary embolism or blood clots in the lungs. The safety of these devices have been in question for years as many patients have reported severe injury and death caused by migration and fracturing of the metal filters, leading to punctures in the heart, lungs or brain.

Cook Medical is one of the manufacturing companies that makes these devices and is taking a hit for hundreds of instances of injury. According to reports, Cook currently faces some 200 lawsuits over its filters — and this is just the tip of the iceberg. All Cook Celect and Cook Gunther Tulip IVC filter lawsuits have been consolidated in a MDL in the Southern District of Indiana for fast track discovery and pretrial proceedings.