Skip to main content

IVC Filter Lawsuits

Over the last few years, there has been an increase in lawsuits against IVC filter manufacturers in the U.S. for their many resulting complications. A good number of these cases were successfully litigated by the IVC Filter lawyers at Carey Danis & Lowe. Call us today for your case!

contact us for free consultation

What are IVC Filters?

In establishing whether you or a loved one has a viable case against an IVC filter manufacturer, it is important to understand how the device is supposed to work.

IVC is short for Inferior Vena Cava. This is a major vein that transports blood from the lower body upwards into the heart. IVC filters, which are made of metal and have a web-like design, are installed into the veins of patients that are found to be highly vulnerable to pulmonary embolism– a blockage in one of the lung arteries.

The filter works to prevent blood clots from getting into the lungs, heart, brain, or kidneys. They do this by catching clots while in the bloodstream and allowing them to break down by themselves over time.

The recommendation is that IVC filters are removed between six and 12 weeks after they’ve been inserted. The longer it remains in a patient, the harder it is for IVC filter removal. Thus, creating a higher chance for it to cause harm.

Do IVC Filters work?

So far, two studies have shown that IVC filters are not effective. A study done at the Boston University School of Medicine established that the filters do not significantly improve the survivability rate of trauma patients.

Another clinical trial found that using IVC filters to treat acute pulmonary embolism, along with anticoagulation drugs, did not give patients any additional benefit in comparison to treating patients with drugs alone.

The U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has reported receiving hundreds of reports of adverse effects from use of IVC filters. More than 900 adverse were reported between 2005 and 2010. This led the FDA to issue several Safety Warnings and give the recommendation that IVC filters are removed within two to three months.

IVC Filter Complications

The following are symptoms that you should be aware of if you or a loved one has ever had an IVC filter:

  • Internal bleeding
  • Chest pain
  • Shortness of breath
  • Nausea
  • Heart rhythm problems
  • Hypotension

The above symptoms are commonly experienced when IVC filters disintegrate, and parts of them start moving within the bloodstream. It is important to seek medical attention immediately if even one symptom is seen. Otherwise, the symptoms or injuries can become more serious and lead to stroke, hemorrhage, pulmonary embolism, and potentially death.

Shards of sharp, metallic parts moving around in the circulatory system can also cause cardiac tamponade. This is a condition where body fluids like blood or pus leak into the pericardium. This is the tissue lining around the heart muscle. Leakage into it can cause pressure on it and interfere with the normal beating of the heart.

In addition, it’s important to be aware that use of this device may also result in the following injuries:

  • Migration
  • Strut Fracture
  • Device Tilt
  • Unable to be retrieved
  • Organ Perforation

If you are experiencing any complications due to a faulty IVC filter, contact Carey Danis & Lowe to get the compensation you deserve.

IVC Filter Lawsuit

Ideally, if a product causes any kind of harm to a user, the manufacturer should accept liability and offer compensation in an amount that is fair and adequate in regard to the injuries that the user has suffered. This is rarely the case without a competent IVC filter lawyer on your side.

According to an article published in the Daily Hornet in 2016, about 1,500 lawsuits have been filed against IVC filter manufacturers since August 2015. In this number, there were 654 cases against Cook Medical, who manufactured the Celect and Gunther Tulip IVC filters, and 709 against C.R Bard, who manufactured the Recovery and G2 IVC filters. The claim was that their design made them more likely to get fractured, to migrate, and to perforate the inferior vena cava and cause injury.

Many people who have used IVC filters and been harmed by them have had to engage an IVC filter lawyer in order to get fair and adequate compensation.

Contact Carey Danis & Lowe

If you or a loved one have suffered adverse effects from using an IVC filter, you will need an experienced attorney to help get you the compensation you deserve. The lawyers at Carey Danis & Lowe can help!

Our firm, based in St. Louis, concentrates on pharmaceutical product liability, defective medical device litigation, and class action lawsuits. With our team of full-time medical personnel, including doctors, nurses, and IT personnel, you can feel secure knowing you are receiving the best legal counsel.

The skilled and experienced Carey Danis & Lowe attorneys have a long, successful track record in recoveries made on behalf of clients, including ones from nationally recognized verdicts and settlements from complicated medical mass tort cases.

For more information about the link IVC Filters:

FDA
FDA
FDA

Don’t continue to suffer in silence or watch your loved one suffer because of the negligence of the product manufacturer. Contact Carey Danis & Lowe today for a free case evaluation.

If we find that you have a case, an IVC filter lawyer will work towards getting you the justice you deserve. We will do it for you as we have done it for so many others!

contact carey danis & lowe
carey danis lowe st louis attorneys pre footer no edges
Experienced Attorneys who fight for Justice & your Well-being
If you have been wronged, we can help