A couple from Ohio is one of the most recent sets of plaintiffs to file a lawsuit in the Cook IVC Filter multidistrict litigation.

Plaintiffs Scott and Shelly W. filed an IVC filter lawsuit against Cook Medical and its subsidiaries as a result of IVC filter complications suffered by Scott. Scott’s IVC filter placement occurred in Ohio in February 2015.

The specific injuries suffered by Scott as a result of his Cook IVC filter were not detailed in the IVC filter lawsuit and could have included any number of commonly-reported IVC filter complications.

Scott and Shelly have brought forth nine counts against the manufacturers of the Cook Celect IVC filter including strict product liability- failure to warn, strict products liability- design defects, two counts of negligence, breach of express and implied warranties, violations of Ohio’s Deceptive Trade Practices Act, loss of consortium (loss of companionship with a spouse) and punitive damages.

What is an IVC Filter?

An IVC filter, or inferior vena cava filter, is a small medical device that is used to prevent blood clots in susceptible individuals. The device itself looks like a spider, with a small body and fingerlike projections designed to filter out or “catch” blood clots before they travel to the heart and lungs to potentially cause damage.

The IVC filter placement is located in the patient’s vena cava, a large vein that carries blood from the lower body to the heart. Some people tend to develop blood clots in the leg, known as deep venous thrombosis (DVT) or may have pelvic blood clots form after a major surgery. Others are just generally more susceptible to blood clot formation.

Blood clots that travel to the heart and lungs can cause stroke, heart attack, pulmonary embolism (PE) and can damage the heart and lungs, sometimes ending in a fatal outcome. IVC filter placement as a precautionary intervention can help avoid some of these blood clot risks.

What IVC Filter Complications Have Been Reported?

A number of different complications have been reported by patients who have had an IVC filter placed. Some device failures include:

• Fractured filter (often leading to a piece of the filter dislodging and traveling elsewhere in a patient’s body)
• Filter migration in its entirety to another body location
• Punctured aorta or duodenum
• Tilted filter (rendering it less effective or even useless)

IVC Filter Lawsuit Information

If you or a loved one experienced complications from an IVC filter placement of any brand including the Bard IVC filter, Cook Celect IVC filter, Gunther Tulip IVC filter, Optease IVC filter or any other IVC filter, you may be entitled to legal compensation.

An experienced IVC filter attorney can review your case at no charge to you and can assist you in determining if filing an individual lawsuit or joining an MDL is right for you.

The Cook Celect IVC Filter Lawsuit is Case No. 1:14-ml-2570-RLY-TAB in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, Indianapolis Division.

It is part of the larger Cook IVC Filter MDL In Re: Cook Medical, Inc., IVC Filters Marketing, Sales, Practices and Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2570 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, Indianapolis Division.