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IVC Filter Lawsuit

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  • IVC Filter Lawsuit

Scores of people have filed IVC Filter lawsuits against C.R. Bard Inc. and other companies that manufacture and market retrievable inferior vena cava (IVC) filters. These devices, which are intended to prevent blood clots from traveling to the lungs and causing a pulmonary embolism, are allegedly associated with unacceptably high rates of fracture, breakage, and migration. These issues may result in a range of life-threatening complications, including:

• Internal bleeding
• Cardiac tamponade
• Severe pain
• Puncture of the Inferior vena cava
• Pulmonary embolism
• Respiratory distress
• Deep vein thrombosis in lower limbs
• Death

Individuals who sustained serious injuries as a result of a C.R. Bard IVC filter or similar device may be entitled to compensation for their related medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more. If you are interested in pursing a claim for an IVC filter injury, please contact one of our legal experts to learn more about the options available to you.

Litigation Involving C.R. Bard IVC Filters

The litigation involving C.R. Bard IVC filters centers on its G2 and Recovery products. Both are retrievable filters that are implanted into the inferior vena cava where they “catch” blood clots in order to prevent the formation of pulmonary emboli. The devices are indicated for use in patients who are unable to take blood thinners, or when anticoagulant therapy has failed. Once the danger of pulmonary embolism has passed, the filters should be removed.

• September 2016: The federal judge overseeing the Bard IVC filter litigation in Arizona has denied plaintiffs’ request for production of electronically stored communications between overseas regulators and the foreign entities that market Bard’s retrievable IVC filters overseas.  Read More
• July 2016: A settlement conference convened to discuss possible resolution of IVC filter lawsuits filed against Cook Medical, Inc. has failed to produce any agreement. Bellwether trials could begin in the federal multidistrict litigation currently underway in the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Indiana, early next year. Read More
• May 2016: A bellwether trial plan has been established in the federal Bard IVC filter litigation. A Case Management Order issued in the U.S. District Court, District of Arizona, on May 5th stipulates that plaintiffs and defendants are each to submit a list of 24 bellwether trial candidates no later than June 29, 2016. The pool of 48 will be narrowed down to 20 cases in early December, with each side selecting 10 lawsuits. By March 1, 2017, six of those 20 cases will be designated for trial, at which time trial dates will be scheduled. Read More
• April 2016: Per a joint submission filed with the Court on April 15th, plaintiffs and defendants in the federal Bard litigation have proposed a bellwether trial selection plan. Under the proposal, six cases would eventually be selected for a series of trials that could provide insight into jury decisions in other cases now pending in the proceeding. Those selections would be made in March 2017 if the plan is adopted by the Court. Read More
• January 2016: The Second Case Management Order issued in the federal Bard IVC filter litigation indicates that the Court has established a schedule for second-phase discovery. The parties have also been directed to confer and agree on procedures for selecting bellwether cases. Read More
• January 2016: The parties involved in the Bard IVC filter litigation have proposed a two-track discovery schedule that would allow advanced cases to head to trial in early 2017.  Read More
• December 2015: A Mississippi man files suit over injuries allegedly sustained due to the Bard Eclipse IVC filter. The complaint claims that the plaintiff allegedly suffered the perforation of his inferior vena cava due to the tilting of an Eclipse IVC filter.  Read More
• October 2015: A multidistrict litigation is established in the U.S. District Court, District of Arizona, for product liability claims involving Bard IVC filters. Read More

C.R. Bard IVC Filters: Alleged Safety Issues

The Bard Recovery filter was introduced in 2002. However, IVC filter lawsuit plaintiffs claim that the Recovery device began to exhibit problems shortly after it was launched on the market. Among other things, they point to a number of studies that suggest the Recovery filter’s failure rate stands between 21% and 31.7%: The complaints further allege that these malfunctions were due to the filter’s legs or strut fracturing and migrating to other parts of the body, including the heart and lungs.

The G2 IVC Filter System was introduced by C.R. Bard in 2005, and touted as an improvement over the Recovery product. However, according to a 2010 study published   in the Archives of Internal Medicine, the Bard G2 IVC filter fracture rate was 12%.

In 2010, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) disclosed that it had received more than 900 reports of IVC filter failures involving retrievable devices such as those marketed by C.R. Bard. More than 300 involved problems associated with the migration of the filter, while 70 patients reportedly sustained punctures of the inferior vena cava due to fracturing or displacement of the filter.

NBC News Investigates Bard IVC Filters

• September 2015: NBC News airs a two-part investigative report on Bard’s Recovery IVC filter, finding that 300 adverse events, including at least 27 fatalities, had been associated with their use.  The report also uncovered a confidential study commissioned by the company in 2004 that linked the Recovery filter to higher rates of death, fracture and movement compared to its competitors. Read More
• December 2015: NBC News investigate problems with the G2 IVC filter series, which replaced the Recovery filter in 2005. The network links G2 failures with 12 deaths, and reveals documents indicating that Bard officials were aware of its safety issues within months of its FDA approval. Read More

Study Links Unretrieved Blood Clot Filters to IVC Thrombosis

A study published in a March 2016 issue of  JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions suggested that an increase in IVC thrombosis may be linked to untretrieved IVC filters. This complication can lead to post-thrombotic syndrome in up to 90% of patients, venous claudication in 45%, pulmonary embolism in 30%, and venous ulceration in 15%. In light of these significant risks, the investigators recommended that doctors plan to remove IVC filters as soon as medically possible.  Read More

Learn More about Filing Your Own IVC Filter Lawsuit

Attorneys around the country are now offering IVC filter lawsuit reviews to individuals who may have been harmed by C.R. Bard’s Recovery and G2 products. To learn how you can pursue legal action of your own, please callfor a free, no-obligation case review.