A Florida woman recently filed a lawsuit against C.R. Bard, Inc. over complications from its IVC filter, joining a growing Bard IVC Filter MDL.

The plaintiff, Aimee H., was implanted with a Bard IVC filter device on Sept. 24, 2010. However, sometime after implantation, Aimee says she began experiencing complications with the device that led her to file a lawsuit, joining the Bard IVC filter MDL. The specific IVC filter device Aimee was implanted with is Bard’s G2 Vena Cava Filter.

Aimee’s IVC filter lawsuit was filed on June 27 on multiple counts, including manufacturing defect, failure to warn, design defect, negligence, breach of express and implied warranties, fraudulent misrepresentation and concealment, among several others. Aimee also filed for punitive damages.

IVC Filter Background

An inferior vena cava filter, otherwise known as an IVC filter, is a medical device implanted in a patient’s main artery to prevent blood clots from moving into a patient’s lungs and heart and causing serious damage, including a significant risk of death.

However, reports in recent years have suggested that these IVC filter devices themselves can cause serious injuries and complications.

IVC Filter Complications

Product liability lawsuits likes those included in the Bard IVC filter MDL are being filed across the country, claiming that the product can be too dangerous for patients in comparison with the condition it’s supposed to treat.

According to plaintiffs in the Bard IVC filter MDL, the risks of these IVC filter devices can be greater than their benefit. They allege patients are not adequately warned about the device’s serious side effects.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has received adverse event reports over the past decade that indicate that hundreds of patients have suffered from a variety of IVC filter side effects. These severe complications include punctured organs and filter migration, both of which can cause serious or permanent problems.

Filing a Bard IVC Filter Lawsuit

Aimee’s Bard IVC filter lawsuit, and many others like it, claim that Bard and other medical device manufacturers should take responsibility for the side effects their devices have caused for patients and their families across the country.

The plaintiffs in the Bard IVC filter MDL allege that Bard was aware that its IVC filter device is linked with serious complications, but continued to market and sell it anyway, placing company profit over the safety of patients. Injured patients have filed lawsuits against a number of other IVC filter makers, in addition to Bard.

If you or someone you know has undergone complications from IVC filters, you may have reason to file your own claim in the Bard IVC filter MDL. While filing a lawsuit does not repair the damage caused by IVC filter side effects, it can help to alleviate the financial burden caused by medical expenses and lost wages.

The Bard IVC Filter Lawsuit is Case No. 2:17-cv-02046-DGC, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona.