Who is at risk for Inferior Vena Cava (IVC) filter injuries?
IVC filters are implanted into patients who have a history or risk of developing blood clots in the legs or pelvis, including patients who are:
- diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis,
- immobile,
- recent trauma victims,
- recovering from surgery,
- suffering from a pulmonary embolism,
- or otherwise determined to be at risk for a PE.
What are the complications from Inferior Vena Cava (IVC) filter injuries?
When IVC filters fail, the device or its pieces may migrate to a patient’s heart and lungs, resulting in serious injury or death. The devices also can shift within a patient’s body, eventually reaching areas in the body that aren’t reachable by surgery.
In some cases, IVC filters are implanted into patients on a short-term basis. These devices, called retrievable IVC filters, are intended to be removed as soon as the risk of a PE decreases. In 2010, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a safety alert suggesting a possible link between long term use of retrievable filters with an increased risk of fracture or failure.
Woods & Woods IVC filter injury lawyers can help.
If you or someone you love has received an IVC filter and suffered severe health complications or death, you may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Contact our drug injury lawyers to get the legal help you need, today. Woods and Woods defective medical device lawyers have helped injured people since 1985.
What are IVC Filters?
The IVC (Inferior Vena Cava) carries blood away from the lower body into your heart. The IVC filter is a device that is put into the vein with the purpose of catching blood clots before they are carried into the heart. The IVC filter is designed to prevent pulmonary embolisms. Many patients who are implanted with IVC filters cannot take anticoagulant medications and therefore opt to have an IVC filter placed in their vein.
What is the problem with IVC Filters?
The lawsuits against the manufacturer of IVC Filters allege the company did not adequately warn potential patients about the risks associated with IVC Filters. Some lawsuits have been filed because metal fragments broke off the IVC Filter and ended up damaging other organs. Other lawsuits allege that the manufacturer of the IVC Filter knew about the dangers of the filters yet failed to warn the general public. There seems to even be credibility to claims that the company forged an FDA employee’s signature in order to get FDA approval.
What risks are associated with faulty IVC Filters?
Many patients were injured when their IVC Filter moved from its original place. That means the device migrated and became stuck in places it was not supposed to be. If an IVC Filter migrates it could potentially damage other organs. If pieces of the IVC Filter become loose and go into the bloodstream, the broken piece could seriously damage the heart and lungs.
The IVC Filter is also believed to tear or erode the vein it is placed in. This can lead to serious vein damage that could potentially be deadly. Some lawsuits allege that the filter can also become blocked by clots, which could block the entire blood flow from the lower body to the heart.
How are people injured by IVC Filters?
As of this point, it is unclear how many people have been killed and injured by defective IVC Filters. Some patients’ families may not even realize the IVC Filter was the cause of death. It is reasonable to believe that coroners could overlook the IVC Filter as a cause of death and may have related the death to another pulmonary issue. For that reason, we highly suggest you contact an IVC Filter lawyer to investigate whether or not your loved one’s death or injury was related to an IVC Filter.
Are there currently lawsuits against the manufacturer?
There are currently many lawsuits against the manufacturer of IVC Filters. A large number of these lawsuits have been centralized into Multidistrict Litigation (MDL). These types of lawsuits are similar to class actions where many cases are compiled into one court. It is not too late to file an IVC Filter lawsuit.
However, you only have a limited amount of time to file an IVC Filter lawsuit. There are laws that limit the amount of time you have to file a lawsuit. These deadlines can vary depending on what state you live in. Other factors are things like when the patient received the IVC Filter or when complications from the IVC Filter happened.
Side effects of a defective IVC filter:
- Chest Pain
- Confusion
- Heart Rhythm Problems
- Hypotension
- Lightheadedness
- Nausea
- Neck Pain
- Shortness of Breath
- Hemorrhaging or Internal Bleeding
- Death
- Hemorrhaging (severe bleeding)
- Pulmonary Embolism
- Stroke
The FDA issued warnings on IVC filter injuries.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a Drug Safety Communication regarding IVC Filters. The FDA received over 921 complaints regarding the IVC Filters. The FDA found 328 cases where the IVC Filter migrated from its original place. The FDA also received 146 complaints of embolizations where pieces of the filter traveled through the bloodstream. There are many more complaints received by the FDA, but those were the most common.
About hiring an IVC filter injury lawyer.
Since 1985, Woods & Woods has successfully represented thousands of injured people and their families. Our staff works tirelessly to get injured people the compensation they deserve. Woods & Woods defective product lawyers never charge a penny unless we win your IVC Filter lawsuit. If you lose your IVC Filter lawsuit, you owe us nothing.
We offer free legal consultations to anyone. If you have questions, we have answers and it won’t cost you to talk to us. We will help you decide what course of legal action is best for your family. There is no obligation to hire us after a free legal consultation
