A New Jersey woman has joined over 600 other plaintiffs in a lawsuit against C.R. Bard for its defective IVC filters. The woman had a Meridian IVC filters implanted and experienced complications from the device. Plaintiffs are accusing Bard of failing to warn patients of the risks associated with the device.
Bard’s history with defective IVC filters goes back more than ten years when the company voluntarily recalled its Recovery IVC filter in 2005 after receiving reports the device was experiencing high rates of migration, fracture, and perforation of the inferior vena cava walls.
Shortly after the recall, Bard received approval for a new IVC filter, the G2, that was supposed to be more resistant to fractures. Despite Bard’s claims the new models were safer, the company continued to receive reports of device failure. During the next five years, Bard continued to manufacture IVC filters that have been linked to a 12% fracture rate in recent studies.
The first lawsuit against Bard for defective IVC filters was filed in 2012 and went to trial in 2015. Bard settled the lawsuit just ten days after the trial began. In August 2015, hundreds of Bard IVC filter lawsuits were consolidated into a multidistrict litigation in Arizona.
Many plaintiffs suffered complications from their IVC filters that were so severe it made the device impossible to remove, but they now have hope they won’t suffer life-long complications from the device. A new method of removing IVC filters deemed too risky to remove with standard surgical methods is showing great promise.
With over 600 lawsuits pending against the company, plaintiffs are eagerly waiting for trials to begin in early 2017. Plaintiffs are also looking toward Cook Medical, who is also facing lawsuits against defective IVC filters. The first trials against Cook will begin in September and may set an important precedent for other IVC filter manufacturers.