Medical devices were made to assist physicians and practitioners in improving or maintaining the health of patients. And with the technological advances that have proliferated throughout the years, the state of the art medical devices being created for patients now has undoubtedly revolutionized health care. However, as with all mechanisms, medical devices are not exempt from malfunctioning or failing. When these mechanisms fall short and become defective and hurt the very patients they are intended to help, manufacturers of these products should be held accountable for these shortcomings. Three victims in the states of Pennsylvania and Tennessee have experienced the damaging effects of a defective medical device firsthand, and are now filing a lawsuit.

Patients Geraldine Johnson, Charles Moses and Martha Smith all filed a civil suit on January 31 in the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas against vena cava filter manufacturers Rex Medical and Argon Medical Devices. The inferior vena cava filter, also known as an IVC filter, is a device that is implanted within a patient's body to catch and filter traveling blood clots before they reach the heart and the lungs. It can be implanted in a way that it can be retrieved or be placed in the body permanently. It's name, the vena cava indicates where it is placed, in the vena cava - the largest vein in the body. It's usually implanted in patients that have had major issues with blood clots.

All three of the plaintiffs filed claims stating that the product was negligently manufactured and marketed, and should be deemed as an unsafe product. Each plaintiff has been drastically affected by the implantation of the device and one patient was pronounced dead earlier this year due to complications surrounding his injuries.

Robert Johnson's widow, Geraldine Johnson, decided to file a lawsuit on his behalf. She says her husband was implanted with an Option Retrievable Inferior Vena Cava Filter manufactured by Rex Medical towards the end of January. Shortly after, he suffered from a pulmonary embolism - which occurs when a blood clot has clogged a pulmonary artery in the lungs - while the filter was in place. This is the very condition the filter is intended to prevent.

Moses and Smith were implanted with the same type of filter when their filters malfunctioned in 2014, leaving them with disabled with debilitating injuries and significant losses such as extreme pain and suffering, expensive medical fees, and the loss of the enjoyment of life. They all claim they were never warned of the severe health side effects associated with the vena cava filter. They claim a product linked to causing issues like hemorrhaging and the perforation of tissue, vessels, and organs should be off the market.

If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of the negligence of a manufacturer or company, you may be eligible for compensation. These companies have a duty to ensure the safety of their consumers, and if this duty is breached, they should be held responsible. Contact the Brod Law Firm online or call us for a free consultation.