Baron & Budd Investigating IVC Filter Lawsuits

Device Linked to Serious Organ Damage

DALLAS (Aug. 28, 2015) – The national law firm of Baron & Budd is investigating potential lawsuits involving the use of inferior vena cava (IVC) filters. In many instances, the filters have either fractured or become displaced inside a patient’s body, leading to severe organ damage.

The inferior vena cava is a major vein that transports blood to the heart from the lower portion of the body. Patients who are susceptible to pulmonary embolisms often have an IVC filter implanted in order to stop blood clots from traveling to the lungs, which can potentially be fatal. Many patients, however, are taking legal action against IVC filter manufacturers after suffering injuries. The devices can fracture or move out of place, not only puncturing the vena cava but causing other internal injuries as well.

An IVC filter is typically intended to be a temporary guard against blood clots, but in many cases, the filters are not removed once the threat of a pulmonary embolism has passed. Plaintiffs in several IVC filter lawsuits claim that filter manufacturers failed to properly warn doctors either about the importance of removing the device or warn about potential defects.

In 2010, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported that it had received more than 900 reports of patients suffering adverse effects from IVC filters. More than 300 involved problems associated with the migration of the device, while 70 patients reported that their inferior vena cava had been punctured due to fracturing or displacement of the filter.

The FDA sent a warning letter to IVC filter manufacturer C.R. Bard on July 13, 2015. The letter informed C.R. Bard that it had not taken the proper action to correct IVC-related violations the agency found at two manufacturing locations. The FDA found that Bard was producing IVC filters at its Tempe, AZ facility without receiving approval. In addition, the FDA found that Bard’s facility in Queensbury, NY had failed to verify that IVC filters had been properly cleaned.

“Far too many patients are suffering greatly due to complications associated with malfunctioning IVC filters,” said Russell Budd, president and managing shareholder of the national law firm of Baron & Budd. “We will fight to protect the rights of patients who have been harmed due to negligence, and make sure manufacturers committing that negligence are held accountable.”

About Baron & Budd, P.C.

The law firm of Baron & Budd, P.C., with offices in Dallas, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Austin and Los Angeles, is a nationally recognized law firm with a nearly 40-year history of "Protecting What’s Right" for people, communities and businesses harmed by negligence. Baron & Budd’s size and resources enable the firm to take on large and complex cases. The firm represents individuals and government and business entities in areas as diverse as dangerous pharmaceuticals and medical devices, environmental contamination, the Gulf oil spill, financial fraud, overtime violations, deceptive advertising, automotive defects, trucking accidents, nursing home abuse, and asbestos-related illnesses such as mesothelioma.