A Louisiana couple recently filed an IVC filter lawsuit after the husband allegedly suffered from IVC filter complications.

The device, a Gunther Tulip IVC filter, was implanted in June 2008. However, the couple’s IVC filter lawsuit alleges that the product ended up causing IVC filter complications, putting Plaintiff Derick A. at risk.

Derick filed this IVC filter lawsuit over the Gunther Tulip IVC filter on multiple counts, including but not limited to failure to warn, defective design, negligence, and breach of express and implied warranties.

Derick’s wife, Janet A., also filed for loss of consortium.

The couple is also requesting punitive damages for the allegedly defective Gunter Tulip IVC filter.

Inferior Vena Cava Filters

An IVC filter, also known as an inferior vena cava filter, is a medical device intended to prevent blood clots from entering a patient’s lungs and heart, but reports in recent years have suggested that these devices can cause serious damage.

IVC filter lawsuits across the U.S. are claiming that the product can be dangerous to patients. Lawsuits allege that the IVC filters are not worth the risk, given that the devices themselves may be more harmful than the clots.

According to adverse event reports received by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the past ten years, hundreds of patients have suffered from punctured organs and filter migrations, which can cause major complications.

IVC filters (or inferior vena cava filters) are implanted in a patient’s vena cava, a large vein that carries blood to the heart.  The device is placed to prevent blood clots from moving into a patient’s lungs and heart, and over time, the clot is allowed to dissipate.

IVC Filter Lawsuits

This IVC filter lawsuit, and many others like it, claim that Gunther Tulip IVC manufacturer Cook Medical should take responsibility for their actions. The lawsuits allege that Cook was aware that the design can lead to major IVC filter complications, but continued marketing and selling the product anyway, placing personal profit over patient safety.

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

Injured patients have filed lawsuits against a number of IVC filter makers, citing organ damage due to filter migration and breaks, as well as other serious complications. If you or someone you know has undergone complications due to retrievable IVC filters, you may have cause to file an IVC filter lawsuit.

Filing a lawsuit does not repair the damage, but can help compensate for the physical, emotional, and financial losses felt as a result of these devices.

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