The devices are implanted in a major blood vessel called the inferior vena cava (IVC), where they catch blood clots and prevent pulmonary embolisms.
The FDA has issued multiple warnings about safety risks, especially when temporary filters are not removed.
One lawsuit was filed by a woman from Mississippi named December K. She was implanted with the Bard Eclipse® Vena Cava filter in March 2014 — Case No. 2:16-cv-01681.
The other lawsuit was filed by Jack B., a man from Minnesota who was implanted with the Bard Recovery® IVC filter in February 2004.
The Recovery filter was pulled off the market in 2005, but never recalled. A study from 2012 estimated that 40% of the filters would fracture within 5.5 years.
All of the lawsuits accuse Bard of selling a dangerous device that has an unreasonable risk of fracture, migration, tilt, perforation of the vena cava, and permanent health problems.
The cases were centralized in the U.S. District Court for Arizona, where approximately 550 similar cases are pending against C.R. Bard in a Multi-District Litigation (MDL No. 2641) — In Re: Bard IVC Filters Products Liability Litigation.
Both plaintiffs are represented by Ben C. Martin of the Law Offices of Ben Martin in Dallas, Texas.
Editor’s note: For more information about IVC Filter lawsuits and your legal rights, please contact The Law Offices of Ben C. Martin.