Cook Medical has been hit with yet another Gunther Tulip lawsuit, alleging that the popular IVC filter device has caused serious complications.

The specific IVC filter device involved in this lawsuit is known as the Gunther Tulip Vena Cava Filter, or Gunther Tulip, made by medical device manufacturer Cook Medical. The Colorado plaintiff, William R., was implanted with the Gunther Tulip IVC filter on Oct. 23, 2015.

However, shortly after being implanted with the Gunther Tulip device, William R. alleges he began to experience serious complications. As a result, he filed a Gunther Tulip lawsuit against Cook Medical, the IVC filter device’s manufacturer.

The Gunther Tulip lawsuit was filed on multiple counts, including failure to warn, design defect, negligence, breach of express and implied warranties, and several others, as well as punitive damages. William filed his Gunther Tulip lawsuit on June 21, 2017 as part of an MDL, or multidistrict litigation, which combines a number of similar lawsuits together.

IVC Filter Complications

An inferior vena cava filter, more simply known as an IVC filter, is a kind of medical device intended to prevent blood clots from entering a patient’s lungs and heart. Another popular option for treating blood clots is an anticoagulant medication, but some patients are unable to take anticoagulants. Others may simply prefer having an IVC filter device implanted than taking a medication.

However, a growing number of reports in recent years have suggested that these IVC filters can cause serious injuries and complications. Many patients like William R. have responded by filing IVC filter lawsuits against their particular device’s manufacturers.

According to these plaintiffs, IVC filter devices are not worth the risk they pose to patients. They allege that the devices themselves may be more harmful than the blood clots they are intended to treat.

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the federal agency has received hundreds of reports over the past decade that reports of patients suffering from punctured organs and filter migrations due to implantation with IVC filters.

Filing an IVC Filter Lawsuit

This Gunther Tulip lawsuit and many others like it claim that Cook Medical was aware that its IVC filter device can lead to serious complications, but continued to market and sell it as safe and effective anyway, placing profit over patient safety.

The FDA has responded to the claims against the safety of retrievable IVC filters. The agency recommends that the devices only be used on a temporary rather than permanent basis, and only if anticoagulant medications or other treatments are deemed ineffective.

Injured patients have filed lawsuits against a number of companies that make these vena cava filter devices, including Cook Medical, citing a number of serious complications including organ damage due to filter migration and breaks. If you or someone you love has undergone complications after being implanted with an IVC filter from Cook Medical, you may be able to file a Gunther Tulip lawsuit. Filing a lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering caused by IVC filter side effects, but it can help to alleviate the financial burden from medical expenses and lost wages.

The Gunther Tulip Lawsuit is Case No. 1:17-cv-02140-SEB-MJD, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, Indianapolis Division.