Recovery Blood Clot Filter Linked to Hundreds of Injuries and Deaths

Defective medical devices are one of the leading causes of personal injury and medical malpractice lawsuits in this country. Now, NBC News has uncovered a horrific link between C.R. Bard’s Recovery Blood Clot Filter and the deaths of 27 people – and the serious injuries of hundreds more.

The Recovery filter, described by NBC as “a spider-shaped apparatus that is inserted into the largest vein in the body,” is supposed to prevent blood clots from reaching the hearts of patients at high-risk. The filter does not need to be placed near the heart to prevent the clots, but that might be part of the problem. NBC reports that:

• One patient needed emergency open-heart surgery after a piece of the filter broke off and traveled through her bloodstream and into her heart.
• One patient died after a clot pushed the filter – place just below her kidneys – into her heart, killing her within a week of its being implanted.
• Bard knew there was a problem with their original filter, and “even as death and injury reports were climbing, the company decided not to recall the Recovery. Instead, Bard sold about 34,000 of them for nearly three years before replacing them with a modified version with a new name, G2” (emphasis ours).

The actions of C.R. Bard – or inaction, if you prefer – could be linked to the deaths of innocent people around the country.

IVC filters and their dangers

The Recovery filter is an inferior vena cava filter, or IVC filter, used to prevent blood clots from traveling. Over the years, these filters have been used to protect the hearts and lungs of hundreds of thousands of people. As NBC News reports, “about a quarter of a million blood clot filters are implanted in patients who can’t tolerate blood thinners,” and most people live long and healthy lives because of them.

But the Recovery filter line by C.R. Bard has long been plagued with problems. The Food and Drug Administration issued a warning back in 2010 (which was updated in 2014) stating that it “received reports of adverse events and product problems associated with IVC filters.” Some of those “adverse events” include:

• The devices migrating throughout the body
• The tendency of the filters to fracture
• Broken pieces of the filter traveling through the bloodstream
• Organ perforation
• Difficulties removing the device once it is implanted

The FDA can now add “wrongful death” to that list.

What happens next?

Given the amount of patients who were seriously injured by the device’s failure to prevent blood clots, to stay in place or to stay in one piece, a number of class-action lawsuits have begun around the country against C.R. Bard, alleging not only that the products were defective, but that the manufacturer knew of the risks posed and chose not to disclose them. Class-action lawsuits and MDLs (multi-district litigation suits) can be challenging to process because of their sheer size. That is why you want a West Tennessee product liability lawyer with the experience and resources to handle complex litigation. At Bailey & Greer, PLLC, we have both.

If you or your loved one were injured while using a Bard Recovery IVC filter, or by any filter designed to stop blood clots, Bailey & Greer is ready and able to help you. Please contact us to make an appointment at one of our offices in Memphis and Jackson. We have championed the rights of West Tennessee injury victims for years, and we can help you, too.