A woman filed a Bard IVC filer lawsuit, joining multidistrict litigation filed against the company over allegations that the filter causes severe adverse side effects and complications.

Plaintiff Nitasha F. filed the Bard IVC filter lawsuit in Arizona federal court on Feb. 22, 2018.

According to the Bard IVC filter lawsuit, Nitasha, a resident of the state of Michigan, was implanted with a Denali Vena Cava Filter device on March 20, 2014.

The Bard IVC filter lawsuit was filed on multiple counts including manufacturing defect, information defect, design defect, failure to warn, negligence, negligent misrepresentation, breach of express warranty, breach of implied warranty, fraudulent misrepresentation, fraudulent concealment, and Violations of Applicable Michigan Law Prohibiting Consumer Fraud and Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices.

Nitasha demands a trial by jury.

Bard IVC Filter Lawsuit Joins MDL

Nitasha’s claim is filed as part of a large MDL centered on allegations that the IVC filter manufactured by C.R. Bard Inc. causes patients to suffer severe adverse effects more than what they were led to believe could occur from the information provided by the manufacturing company.

Incidences of adverse effects and complications have included perforation and fracturing of a patients’ inferior vena cava filter leading to injuries to surrounding tissues, organs, and vessels.

The purpose of an IVC filter is to prevent the formation of blood clots leading to conditions such as deep vein thrombosis and a pulmonary embolism. To prevent blood clots from occurring a patient can take anticoagulant medication or opt to insert a filter to perform the same task. Whereas deep vein thrombosis is a blood clot that forms in the deep vein, usually in the body’s lower extremity, such as the legs, a pulmonary embolism is the condition where a blockage occurs in a part of the body but circulates to the lungs preventing blood flow.

An IVC filter catches blood that may carry clots and prevent them from flowing into a patient’s heart and lungs. However, serious complications have stemmed from the implantation of IVC filters. Some complications include the filter migrating and moving out of place. Some filters have also been said to come apart and fracture, causing loosening fragments to circulate within the bloodstream. Fragmented and loosened parts can cause irreversible and drastic effects, especially if it becomes lodged into a patient’s heart or lungs.

Throughout the past several years, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have received multiple adverse event reports over patients suffering from a wide range of adverse effects and complications such as filter migrations and the puncturing of organs due to device implantation. IVC filter lawsuits are filed against the manufacturer with the hopes of them taking responsibility for the wide range of damages they have caused to thousands of patients.

Nitasha’s Bard IVC Filter Lawsuit is Case No. 2:18-cv-00585-DGC, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona. The Bard IVC filter MDL is in re: Bard IVC Filters Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. MD-15-02641-PHX-DGC, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona.