The son of a deceased Ohio resident has filed a Gunther Tulip filter complications lawsuit against the makers of the IVC filter accusing the manufacturers of selling a defective medical device and causing the death of his father.

Plaintiff Cody R. filed the Gunther Tulip filter complications lawsuit in Indiana federal court on behalf of his father and is claiming loss of consortium against the defendants.

According to the lawsuit, the deceased plaintiff, John R., was implanted with the medical device in July 2007.

He has listed claims against the defendant including strict product liability, negligence, breach of implied and express warranty and wrongful death.

The Gunther Tulip medical device is manufactured and marketed by Cook Medical LLC.

The plaintiff’s short form complaint does not specifically state the alleged complications suffered.

Gunther Tulip Filter Complications Lawsuit Joins Others in MDL

John’s complaint is filed as part of a large multidistrict litigation, also known as an MDL. The MDL consolidates several individual lawsuits over complications attributed to IVC filters made by Cook Medical.

The plaintiffs in these claims allege that patients have had had to endure complications, life-threatening risks and even death, and that this was more than what they had thought they were signing up for.

The plaintiffs allege that they were inadequately and insufficiently informed of the life-threatening risks involved with being implanted with a Gunther Tulip filter. They say they were not sufficiently forewarned of the serious adverse effects that may come as a result.

According to the Gunther Tulip filter complications lawsuit, the inferior vena cava filter, or IVC filter is used to prevent blood clots from causing what is known as deep vein thrombosis or a pulmonary embolism. Deep vein thrombosis is a blood clot that forms in the deep veins of the leg. A pulmonary embolism is the condition in which a blood clot finds its way to the lungs and becomes lodged there.

To prevent serious and life-threatening complications, an IVC filter may be implanted in the inferior vena cava to trap blood clots before they cause more serious conditions. The inferior vena cava filter is implanted into the inferior vena cava, which is the large vein which carries blood from the body’s lower half and up to the lungs and heart. The filter then catches any blood clots that may potentially travel into the heart and lungs and obstructing blood flow. Such a complication may result in life-threatening injuries and death.

However, the allegations and accusations being made against Cook include assertions that the implant causes severe adverse health effects and serious complications. IVC filters have reportedly migrated and moved out of their initial position, and some filters then come apart and fracture, which can cause loosened fragments to circulate within the patient’s bloodstream.

If the loosened fragmented part becomes lodged in a patient’s heart or lungs, the effects of this can be dangerous, and the filter or its fractured parts may be difficult to remove. An ill-positioned filter may also fail to catch blood clots, leaving the patient exposed to a risk of blood clot injuries.

Johns’s Gunther Tulip filter complications lawsuit is Case No. 1:17-cv-02468-SEB-DML, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, Indianapolis Division. The Cook IVC Filter MDL is 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.