The lawsuit was filed by Charles S., a man from New Jersey who was implanted with the B. Braun Vena Tech® on February 27, 2012 at Cheshire Medical Center in New Hampshire.
In January 2015, a chest X-ray showed that the Vena Tech had fractured and migrated to his heart. Further scans found parts of the filter extending into his heart valves, the hepatic vein in his liver, and his aorta.
He now faces serious long-term health risks, including future migration of the broken filter, organ damage, and death.
B. Braun Medical Inc. is accused of selling a defective medical device and failing to warn about safety risks. Furthermore, Vena Tech was never studied in clinical trials before it was allowed on the market.
The FDA issued several safety warnings and asked manufacturers to conduct new studies after hundreds of people were injured. B. Braun is participating in the PRESERVE clinical trial and will follow up with 300 patients who receive the Vena Tech LP.
Unfortunately, it will be years before these safety studies are complete. In the meantime, over 2,000 lawsuits have been filed by people who were injured by IVC filters made by C.R. Bard, Cook Medical, Rex Medical, B. Braun, and more.
The lawsuit was filed on October 24, 2016 in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas — Case No. 161003302.
The plaintiff is represented by Ben C. Martin of The Law Offices of Ben C. Martin in Dallas, Texas; and Stephen A. Sheller of Sheller, P.C., in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.