According to a recent NBC report, there have been 27 deaths and more than 300 injuries linked to Bard IVC filters over the past 10 years. IVC filters are small metal devices implanted into the inferior cava (IVC), a vein that transports blood from the lower legs back to the heart, in an effort to prevent blood clots in the lungs.

The problem with these devices, according to NBC, is they are prone to fracture and migration in which tiny metal pieces can move towards and puncture the heart. In one case, for example, a woman was hospitalized four months after being implanted with a Bard IVC filter because a piece of the filter had broken off and pierced her heart.

Problems with these types of filters are not new knowledge, however. In fact, the FDA announced in 2010 that it was investigating the safety of the devices after receiving more than 900 reports of problems, including device migration and fracture and perforation of the IVC. And, results from an independent study conducted in 2004 reveal that Bard Recovery filters increased the risk for death more than any other IVC filter.

In another study conducted in 2010, researchers found that 16 percent of all filters were fracturing. Despite knowing about these problems, Bard continues to make and sell the filters, potentially endangering thousands of patients every year.

Our defective device lawyers find this behavior unacceptable and are on a mission to help injured patients and their families seek and recover compensation from Bard.

Lawsuits Seek Compensation for Injuries and Death

Due to the number of lawsuits being filed against Bard over the Bard Recovery IVC filter, the Bard G2 and the Bard G2 Express, the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) consolidated all federal Bard IVC filter lawsuits into the District of Arizona for pre-trial proceedings.

Bard has already agreed to settle one lawsuit filed on behalf of a patient who required open heart surgery for injuries caused by device fracture. The settlement amount was not disclosed.

For more information about this topic or to speak with an attorney about a potential case, contact The Law Office of Melinda J. Helbock A.P.C. today. We are reviewing potential IVC filter lawsuits free of charge.