IVC Filter Lawsuits

An IVC filter is a medical device that is often placed in a person's body to prevent pulmonary embolism. Doctors use these devices in detecting blood clots in a person's veins. Blood clots pose the potential threat of breaking loose and becoming lodged in a person's lungs, potentially fatal. The filter is placed in the inferior vena cava, a large blood vessel in a person's abdomen that supplies blood to the lungs. The goal is to catch any clots that break free from reaching the lungs.

The IVC filter is surgically placed in a person during a procedure via a needle that is inserted into a person's neck or groin. While generally seen as a relatively low-risk procedure, problems such as bleeding and infection can occur. The clinically proven and recognized purpose of this product is to prevent deep vein blood clots, a condition known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT), from dislodging in a person who cannot take typical blood clot treatments such as blood thinners and anticoagulants. DVT usually occurs in veins in a person's legs or pelvis.

Recently, studies have shown that a significant number of IVC filters are defective. The faulty devices often detach pieces of the metal device, penetrating areas and often hitting vital organs. These devices, brands such as the Recovery TM and G2TM IVC filters, are commonly used in filtration procedures.

The faulty IVC filter can cause sudden chest pain near where it is placed. A person experiencing such symptoms should immediately contact qualified medical personnel, who can determine if it is causing such problems using a CT scan.

Faulty IVC filters can lead to unnecessary pain, additional surgery and permanent damage to internal organs. While surgery can correct the problems caused, surgery is often not a viable option due to the stress placed on an internal organ during such a procedure.

If you have been injured as a result of a faulty IVC filter, you should contact an experienced medical malpractice lawyer, especially one with experience in these litigation. This is such a new jurisdiction that we only know of two lawyers in the country who have actually had any success with these cases.