Healthcare providers rely on medical devices to solve or alleviate a variety of ailments. Millions of Americans have benefitted from some type of medical device or product, from knee replacements to pacemakers to IUDs. Unfortunately, sometimes these devices can do more harm than good.
When a defective medical product has caused damage, illness, or injury, you may be entitled to recover compensation for your physical, emotional, and financial losses.
The product liability lawyers of Osborne & Francis have aided many injured Floridians in seeking damages in personal injury lawsuits.
Our team of medical product liability lawyers can offer strategic legal insight and a network of resources to give you a fair chance to obtain maximum compensation for your injuries and damages. Call us at (561) 293-2600 to schedule a free case evaluation. Or contact us online at our Boca Raton or Orlando office.
Faulty Medical Devices Can Lead to Nervous System Damage
The nervous system of the human body is responsible for relaying critical messages that allow your body to respond to its environment. When a defective medical device or product, such as a metal-on-metal hip implant, is compromised, the effects on the body can be profound. In the case of these implants, the friction generated by normal movement can cause metal flakes to peel off, entering the bloodstream. When devices deteriorate and release toxic chemicals into the body, the metallosis can damage nerves and impact cognitive abilities.
Tissue or Bone Damage May Occur as a Result of Malfunctioning Implants
Damage to tissue and bone can have permanent consequences for your mobility, especially in regard to strength, balance, and flexibility. Certain knee implants have recently come under scrutiny for the design flaw in their coating, which prevents the bone cement from properly bonding to the implant. Patients have had their implants dislocate or otherwise malfunction, inflicting severe pain. Many need revision surgery, and subsequent physical therapy. In the worst-case scenario, an implant failure can cause a serious fall accident, leading to catastrophic damage on top of the harm done by the defective knee implant.
Infections Can Be a Side Effect of Defective Medical Products
Medical devices or products that have been negligently manufactured can often be a catalyst for infection, typically due to shoddy design or contamination. For example, hundreds of thousands of women have received transvaginal mesh implants for pelvic organ prolapse and stress urinary incontinence. Both of these conditions are often related to childbirth or menopause. The transvaginal mesh implants in question have been found to collect harmful bacteria that can lead to painful and serious infections for implant recipients, among a host of other issues. Manufacturers continue to face product liability lawsuits for their failure to adequately discuss the risks and ensure their products were safe.
Cardiovascular Damage From Defective Medical Devices Can Be Deadly
Cardiovascular damage is often associated with medical devices that aid the heart, such as pacemakers or stents. Approximately half a million to 3 million people across the U.S. have pacemakers to stabilize heart rhythms. While this device and related procedures have been common for decades, makers can still be negligent in their production. When a pacemaker malfunctions, it can irreparably damage the heart. Not only could it stop the electrical impulses that are critical to maintaining a healthy rhythm, but in extreme cases, it can perforate the heart muscle. This can cause a fluid build-up and put an untenable strain on the heart, and by extension the cardiovascular system. Without immediate intervention, this can be a fatal complication.
Permanent Disability From Defective Medical Devices Can be Compensated
As previously mentioned, defective artificial knee and hip implants are among the most common culprits for mobility issues among medical devices. Other defective products, like NuVasive Precice implants, can also cause permanent disability in the form of chronic, developmental, and reproductive toxicity. A permanent disability can reduce your quality of life and career prospects, in addition to your physical health. Disabilities may be cognitive or physical in nature. A product liability lawyer can help you calculate the costs you are likely to face over a lifetime as a result of a defective medical product in a personal injury lawsuit.
Allergic Reactions Caused by Defective Medical Products
Patients have adverse reactions to medical products as ubiquitous as latex gloves or penicillin. When an allergic reaction is caused by a defective product, it can be more dangerous because the patient and their providers are much less likely to anticipate the source of the issue, unless it is a commonly known complication of the product. Allergic reactions should not be underestimated. An adverse reaction to a contaminated or otherwise defective medical product, like a tainted medication, can cause severe swelling and restrict airways, leading to suffocation.
Severe Strokes May Be Related to Defective Medical Devices and Medications
When a manufacturer fails to warn the public of the potential dangers associated with their product, they can potentially be held liable for injuries and deaths that occur as a result. One of the biggest concerns with certain types of medication is the risk of inducing a stroke. Certain pain medications, known as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), can increase the risk of stroke. Other more common medications, like some hormonal birth controls, are also known to increase the risk of blood clots, which can cause a stroke. A stroke is when the brain is deprived of blood, usually due to a clot or burst blood vessels. This can result in paralysis, memory and speech issues, and pain.
Bleeding of the Brain is a Dangerous Effect of Some Faulty Medical Products
Brain bleeds can be catastrophic, and even fatal. When blood accumulates and puts pressure on the brain, it can impair or destroy function. Defective medication may damage blood vessel walls or cause dangerous clotting that leads to a brain bleed. Brain bleeds may also be caused by head trauma. For example, it could result from a slip and fall accident after a defective artificial knee replacement collapses.
Organ Damage Can Be Compensated in a Product Liability Lawsuit
Organ damage is one of the most serious injuries related to defective medical products. While some injured patients can receive a transplant to rectify the damage done by a faulty medical device, that is still a long and painful process with no guarantees. In some cases, the organ cannot be replaced. For example, there have been many recent product liability lawsuits claiming that the design of the defective Paragard copper IUD has allowed it to perforate the uterus. This can compromise fertility, scar the uterus, cause severe pain, and in extreme situations, necessitate a hysterectomy or uterus removal.
Chronic Pain is Often Associated With Faulty Medical Device Injuries
Although chronic pain may be less visible than many of the injuries discussed thus far, it is one of the most common and potentially most debilitating. Chronic pain can interfere with everything from your career to relationships to navigating your own home. Additionally, it often takes a mental toll. Chronic pain may develop after a defective medical implant causes nerve damage, as a result of an accident attributable to a defective medical product, or even due to the treatments necessary to correct the damage done by the defective medical device.
Why Should I Choose Osborne & Francis to Represent Me?
The product liability lawyers of Osborne & Francis have successfully settled many complicated claims for clients injured by defective medical products, making us one of the leading product liability law firms in Florida. We know that it can be frustrating and stressful to sustain an additional injury after seeking treatment, which is why we will do everything in our power to alleviate the burden of the claims process.
Our team of personal injury lawyers is known for their specialization in product liability, especially for medical devices. We have recovered millions of dollars in damages on behalf of injured and ill clients. Our services are free to you unless we win, so there is no reason to wait to reach out.
Contact A Medical Products Liability Lawyer Today
If your quality of life has been compromised by a defective medical product, you don’t have to suffer in silence.
The product liability lawyers of Osborne and Francis will fight to protect your right to compensation. You don’t have to worry about being pushed around by powerful insurance companies when we have your back.
At Osborne & Francis, we will act in your best interest as we pursue maximum compensation as your personal injury lawyers. You can trust our team to put in the time and effort it takes to recover a fair settlement that compensates your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
You can reach us at (561) 293-2600 or contact our Boca Raton or Orlando office online. Schedule a free consultation with our talented team today to get started on filing your Florida medical product liability lawsuit.
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