When you go to a hospital or clinic to get treated for a medical condition, you expect any medical equipment your doctor uses to help your condition improve. Unfortunately, this is not always the reality. Defective medical devices hurt thousands of patients each year, sometimes even causing permanent disability and even death. More than 1.7 million medical device injury reports have been filed to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration since 2008, 800,000 of which have been fatal.
Our Kansas City product liability lawyers explain the most common causes of medical device failures.
Causes of Failed Medical Devices
Medical devices refer to any kind of medical appliance, equipment, implant, prosthetic, transplant, supply, or hearing or visual aid. It is the FDA’s job to check products on the market for design and other flaws, but sometimes things slip through the cracks. In other cases, a product may function properly but is used incorrectly by medical staff.
Medical devices usually fail as a result of one of the following:
- Faulty design
- Human error
- Insufficient testing during production
- Lack of clinical studies
- Production was done by a startup company with a lack of expertise or experience
- Reusing devices that should not be reused
Devices that are known to be defective get recalled once the problem is detected; however, by the time a recall occurs the device could have injured or even killed multiple patients. The FDA keeps a regularly updated log on recalled medical devices here.
What to Do If You’ve Been Affected by a Defective Medical Device
If a medical device causes injury due to human error, you have a medical malpractice case on your hands. If, however, the manufacturer or designer is at fault, you have a product liability case. A defective medical device lawyer can help.
A product liability lawyer with experience in defective medical device cases can help you and your family receive just compensation if you or a loved one has been injured or killed. A settlement should fully pay for your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages.
At Bertram & Graf, L.L.C., we handle a variety of defective medical device cases which include IVC Filters, Hernia Mesh, Essure, and Mirena. Our Kansas City product liability lawyers represent clients who have been injured or lost a loved one due to a defective medical device and fight for the compensation you deserve to cover losses incurred due to the injury. We thoroughly research your case with the help of trusted medical experts and can use our experience to defend you in and out of the courtroom.
If you or a loved one has been injured by a defective medical device, contact our Kansas City product liability lawyers today. We can also assist in cases of medical malpractice.