A firefighter who was implanted with an IVC filter, only to later experience complications that caused serious injuries, has been given a $1.2 million IVC filter lawsuit award. The IVC filter lawsuit award comes from a successful jury verdict against Cook Medical.

The injured plaintiff, Houston firefighter Jeffrey P., was supposed to have his IVC filter device removed seven weeks after implantation. But when that surgery was performed, he says, the device was missing—it had moved and lodged in a blood vessel, and could not be found.

A second surgery was scheduled to remove the device, but this too proved unsuccessful, Jeffrey says. Because of this issue, Jeffrey has to undergo health monitoring to help protect against further complications. Unfortunately, device migration like this can lead to punctured blood vessels, bleeding, and more.

Jeffrey added his lawsuit to the pile of more than 8,000 lawsuits filed against major IVC filter manufacturers Cook Medical and Bard.

Patients like Jeffrey claim that they were not given adequate warning about the risks of IVC devices before they underwent implantation. Patients have reported a number of serious and permanent injuries, including organ perforation, device migration, and fracture, among several others.

If you or a loved one has experienced complications caused by an IVC filter device, you may be able to file a lawsuit and pursue an IVC filter lawsuit award.

Basics of IVC Filter Devices

An inferior vena cava filter device—more commonly known as an IVC filter—is a medical device implanted in the inferior vena cava, the main artery of the human body. These devices are used to prevent blood clots from entering major organs, most importantly the lungs and heart, which would cause serious damage, and even place the patient’s life at risk. Despite the obvious benefits of these IVC filters, more and more patients are claiming that, instead of preventing risk, their own devices have caused serious health problems.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has received a slew of adverse event reports in the last decade, which show hundreds of patients suffering IVC filter complications from filter migration to punctured organs, which can cause severe or permanent issues. Because of these risks, the FDA has now recommended that the devices only be used temporarily, and only if other treatments are found to be ineffective for the patient.

Jeffrey—along with IVC filter patients like him—have turned to litigation because of these problems. Lawsuits allege that IVC filters may be more dangerous than they are beneficial, the risks outweighing the benefits. Patients claim that they were not adequately warned about the risks associated with these devices, including device migration, organ perforation, and more.

Filing an IVC Filter Lawsuit

If you or a loved one has experienced IVC filter side effects, you may be able to file litigation and pursue an IVC filter lawsuit award. While filing a lawsuit cannot repair the damage caused by these complications, an IVC filter award can at least help to compensate for the financial damages caused by medical expenses and more.