IVC Filter Lawsuit | Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp

IVC Filter Lawsuit – Understanding Your Legal Rights and How We Can Help

If you are on this page, it is likely that you or a loved one suffered serious side effects and harm from an IVC filter. This device has been linked to nearly 30 deaths across the country. We are here to help. Our team of dedicated product defect injury lawyers possesses decades of experience representing injured folks and their loved ones after a product or medical device malfunctioned causing significant injuries or death. This page is an informational resource for you and those close to you. If you have questions about pursuing an IVC filter lawsuit, contact our office for a free, confidential case review. You can either fill out the quick contact form on this page or call us at (833) 997-1774.

Understanding the IVC Filter

An IVC filter is a wire device implanted in the largest vein in the body to help catch blood clots. That large vein is known as the inferior vena cava (IVC). This vital vein carries oxygen-depleted blood from the lower half of your body to your heart. Typically, IVC filters are implanted in patients who cannot utilize blood-thinning medications.

Sounds good, right? Unfortunately, these filters are causing serious health problems. Check out this NBC News report about the serious issues associated with IVC filters:

IVC Filter Side Effects and Complications

Patients have reported the following problems and complications with IVC filters:

  • The filter may suddenly change position and become stuck in a place where it is not designed to be inside you or your loved one’s body. This could cause organ damage.
  • If the filter suddenly moves, a portion of the filter could break off and go into your bloodstream. This can result in serious damage to your lungs or heart.
  • The filter could perforate (i.e. cut) the inferior vena cava resulting in significant damage to a vital artery.
  • A damaged filter may be unable to stop clots which could result in a block of blood flow from the lower body into the heart.
  • Fracture
  • Chest pain
  • Hemorrhagic pericardial effusion (excess fluid around the heart)
  • Cardiac tamponade (compression of the heart caused by excess fluid around the heart)
  • Lower-limb Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)
  • Filter embolization

FDA Acknowledges Safety Risks of IVC Filters

The FDA received over 900 “adverse event” reports from patients involving IVC filters. As a result, the FDA issued a safety communication to the general public about the issue of temporary filters not being removed as soon as the patient was not at risk of a pulmonary embolism.

Medical Studies Highlight IVC Filter Defects

Several medical studies confirmed that IVC filters pose serious health risks to patients. Here is a sample:

  • Study reveals that trauma patients implanted with an IVC filter are no more likely to survive, but over 80 percent were more likely to develop deep vein thrombosis.
  • Study links Cook Medical’s Celect IVC filter with a 43 percent rate of vein perforation.
  • Study reveals that patients at risk of developing blood clots might not actually benefit from an IVC filter implant instead of simply taking a prescription blood-thinning medication.
  • The Archives of Internal Medicine published a study that found high rates of fracture and fragment embolization associated with the C.R. Bard IVC filters.

Types of IVC Filters

The companies manufacturing IVC filters include C.R. Bard, Cook  Medical, and B. Braun. Here are some examples of IVC filters implanted in patients across the country:

  • Bard Recovery IVC Filter
  • Bard G2 IVC Filter
  • Bard G2 Express / G2x Filter
  • Eclipse
  • Meridian
  • Cook Günther Tulip
  • Cook Celect
  • B. Braun TempoFilter IVC filter
  • B. Braun VenaTech
  • Rex Medical (Argon Medical) Option IVC filter
  • ALN IVC filter

Time to Take Action – IVC Filter Lawsuits

The IVC filter injury lawyers at Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp are currently reviewing potential cases in all 50 states. Our firm is based in Virginia, but we are a national firm that has handled major personal injury and product defect cases throughout the United States. If you or somebody you know was seriously harmed by a faulty IVC filter, contact our team of experienced personal injury lawyers for a free, confidential case analysis. Call us toll-free 24 hours a day at (833) 997-1774 or fill out a quick contact form on this page. A lawyer will respond to your inquiry within hours.