Another Bair Hugger lawsuit has been filed in federal court against 3M Company and Arizant Healthcare, alleging a patient suffered serious injury after the companies’ heated medical blanket was used during a surgery.

Plaintiff Renny S., a resident of Texas, underwent a hip revision surgery on May 6, 2013. During this procedure, the Bair Hugger warming blanket was used to keep her body warm during surgery, the Bair Hugger lawsuit says.

The medical device works by sucking up air in the surgical room, heating it, then blowing the forced air onto the patient’s body during surgery.

While keeping a body undergoing surgery at a normal temperature may increase recovery time, recent reports claim that the Bair Hugger’s forced air features contaminants that can cause infection.

This seems to have been the case with Renny, as the Bair Hugger lawsuit states:

“the Bair Hugger was used, contaminants were introduced to Plaintiff’s open surgical wound, resulting in a Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection. Due to the infection, Plaintiff needed six additional surgical procedures to remove the implant and clean the infected area within less than eleven months from the revision implant surgery, and Plaintiff continues to suffer substantial damages, including but not limited to impaired mobility, making the simple movement of walking a challenge.”

Renny claims that he suffers and will continue to suffer from the permanent damages allegedly caused by the Bair Hugger. Furthermore, the Bair Hugger lawsuit claims that because 3M and Arizant concealed knowledge of the Bair Huggers defect from Renny, other consumers, and the medical community, it resulted in risks and injuries.

These allegations are especially troubling considering that over 50,000 Bair Huggers are currently being used in numerous hospitals across the United States.

Bair Hugger Legal Claims

The Bair Hugger lawsuit brings several allegations against 3M and Arizant, including claims of negligence, violation of Minnesota’s Consumer Protection and Deceptive Trade Practices Laws, strict liability- failure to warn, strict liability-defective design and manufacture, breach of express warranty, breach of implied warranty, negligent misrepresentation, fraudulent misrepresentation, and fraudulent concealment.

Renny is seeking relief from 3M and Arizant for his injuries allegedly caused by the Bair Hugger medical device, including compensatory damages exceeding $75,000, punitive damages, pre and post judgment interest, attorney’s fees and court costs, and any other forms of relief deemed fit by the court.

The plaintiff of this Bair Hugger lawsuit has also asked the court for a trial by jury for all his claims.

The Bair Hugger Lawsuit is Case No. 0:2015cv03142, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota.