A Texas state jury awarded $1.2 million to a firefighter who claimed his Cook Celect IVC filter caused his serious injuries. Jeffrey Pavlock suffered blood vessel and organ perforations from the device. The jury found Cook Medical failed to warn doctors and patients of IVC filter risks.

IVC Filter Risks

IVC Filters use metal wires to capture and trap blood clots before they can reach the lungs. When a blood clot reaches the lung, it is referred to as a pulmonary embolism (PE). PEs cause about 300,000 deaths every year – the third most common cause of death in hospital patients.
However, the device brings its own risks. It can cause vein and organ perforation when it migrates, deep venous thrombosis when a blood clot forms in a vein,  pulmonary embolism (PE) when a blood clot in a deep vein travels through the bloodstream to the lungs, often causing death. The most common is failed removal.
An NBC news investigation linked IVC filters to 39 deaths. Thousands of people have reported serious IVC filter complications to the FDA. Cook’s Celect model is a retrievable version of IVC filter. The FDA recommends removing the filter between 29 and 54 days after implantation. Complaints say the devices embedded themselves in the inferior vena cava. Other reports say the filters migrated through the body and perforated blood vessels or organs.

Cook IVC Filter Lawsuit

Following a three-week trial, the jury of 12 ruled Cook must pay for injuries following a Celect filter’s implantation in Jeff Pavlock on March 3, 2015. The 35-year-old Houston-area firefighter sued the company after its Celect inferior vena cava filter required open laparotomy surgery to remove.
A surgeon implanted the filter to prevent blood clots from reaching Pavlock’s heart and lungs. The Celect IVC filter was temporary. Doctors planned to remove the filter when the blood clot danger passed. In fact, Cook promoted its Celect IVC filter as retrievable, but the filter put into Mr. Pavlock’s inferior vena cava tilted. Then, it perforated his IVC, duodenum, and aorta. Plus, the device was pressing against his spine and renal artery. This made it impossible to remove without major surgery. In fact, surgeons attempted to remove the device twice without success.
However, doctors were unable to retrieve it seven weeks later. The filter moved and embedded itself in a blood vessel. The Celect filter’s legs also perforated Pavlock’s aorta and small intestine. The device could move or break again, and thus, causes Pavlock to need lifetime health monitoring.

Thousands of IVC Filter Lawsuits Underway

Currently, there are more than 8,000 IVC filter lawsuits in federal court. Most of the lawsuits are part of two federal multidistrict litigations (MDLs). MDLs combine similar lawsuits to move them more efficiently through the legal process. As of May 15, 2018, Cook Medical faced 4,189 lawsuits in its MDL. Bard faced another 3,934 in a second MDL.
Bellwether trials are underway in both MDLs. These are picked as the first cases to go to trial in a coordinated litigation.
Bard lost its first bellwether in March. A jury awarded $3.6 million to a woman who claimed a Bard IVC filter injured her.
Cook won its first bellwether trial in November 2017. A judge dismissed the second bellwether four months later. A third Cook bellwether is set for September 2018.

Speak to an Attorney Today

Patients inserted with retrievable IVC filters are suing manufacturers over allegations of poor design and the manufacturer failing to warn patients of those risks. Faulty filters can puncture veins, fracture, migrate to other parts of the body which cause complications.
The Michael Brady Lynch Firm is accepting new cases in all 50 states. We offer a free, no obligation case review. You may be eligible for compensation to help offset the mounting costs sustained from your faulty IVC Filter. Let our decades of experience bring you the compensation you deserve.