A Bair Hugger lawsuit has been filed by a California resident who claims the forced air warming blanket used during her knee replacement surgery caused a staph infection, which now makes even walking a challenge.

Plaintiff Kimberlee C. is suing the surgical blanket manufacturers 3M Company and Arizant Healthcare Inc. for negligence, failure to warn and fraudulent misrepresentation.

According to the Bair Hugger lawsuit, the defendants aggressively marketed the Bair Hugger forced air warmer blanket as safe to use during surgeries despite their knowledge to the contrary.

The plaintiff claims that instead of altering the design of the blanket or warning physicians of the dangers of using a Bair Hugger during surgery, the defendants chose to “double down on their efforts to promote their defective product.”

Kimberlee alleges that because of the defective design of the Bair Hugger blanket she will continue to suffer from permanent personal injuries.

3M Bair Hugger Lawsuit Overview

According to the 3M lawsuit, plaintiff Kimberlee had knee replacement surgery in November 2014 and a Bair Hugger blanket was used during the course of the operation. She claims that due to the Bair Hugger, contaminants were introduced to her open surgical wound and she developed a staphylococcus aureus infection.

The infection reportedly required Kimberlee to need two additional surgeries to remove the implant and clean the infected area. She claims to suffer from permanent damages, including impaired mobility.

Kimberlee alleges that the defendants concealed their knowledge that use of a Bair Hugger forced air blanket posed an unreasonably dangerous risk to patients.

The Bair Hugger lawsuit alleges that the defendants’ conduct was a “wanton, willful, and deliberate disregard for the value of human life and the rights and safety of consumers such as (the) plaintiff.”

Kimberlee is seeking more than $75,000 for loss of wages and wage earning capacity, as well as for the pain and suffering she continues to suffer.

Bair Hugger Complications

More than 50,000 3M Bair Hugger forced air warmer blankets are currently used during surgical procedures across the nation. A Bair Hugger is a portable heater/blower connected by a flexible hose to a disposable blanket that is positioned over patients during surgery. The surgical practice of keeping patients warm during surgery has been proven to reduce bleeding and shorten recovery time.

However, the system reportedly allows the air to flow in a current against the floor of the operating room and rise up under the blanket, essentially blowing bacteria from the floor directly onto the surgical site.

Bair Hugger lawsuits claim that the forced air warmer blanket has caused the following complications:

• Deep joint infections
• Hospitalization
• Joint implant removal
• Intravenous antibiotic treatment
• Physical therapy
• Additional surgeries
• Amputations

Bair Hugger Lawsuits

Numerous Bair Hugger lawsuits have been filed across the U.S. over allegations that manufacturers failed to properly test the forced air warmer blanket before releasing it on the market.

In general, plaintiffs also allege that 3M and Arizant Healthcare failed to adequately warn the medical community and patients of the true risks of using a Bair Hugger blanket during surgery.

The Bair Hugger Forced Air Warmer Blanket Lawsuit is Case No. 2:15-cv-07333-PSG-GJS, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.