Huntsville Defective Medical Device Injury Lawyers, Alabama

Skilled representation for Alabama injury clients in medical product liability claims

Whether it was an artificial hip, a malfunctioning implanted defibrillator, or a hernia repair which is causing you the agonizing pain of perforated organs and other symptoms, a defective medical device can cause a great amount of pain, illness, and require revision surgeries to repair the damage. At Martin & Helms, we fight for clients in Alabama who have sustained life-altering injuries from dangerous medical devices. Contact us in Huntsville today to learn how we can help.

The truth about dangerous medical devices

Last fall, an organization called the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) conducted a year-long investigation of the medical device industry. They produced a scathing report which revealed that defective medical devices were responsible for more than 83,000 deaths and 1.7 million injuries in the last decade around the world. The report found that the FDA approved many devices with little or no clinical testing and rarely pulled problem devices off the market. In response to the report, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said that it was going to take steps to improve its oversight of medical devices.

What are examples of defective medical devices which have caused injury?

• Artificial hip implants, some of which were recalled because of a high failure rate, infections, metallosis and other complications.
• Vaginal mesh implants, used for the treatment of pelvic organ prolapse, caused complications such as bleeding, pain, and perforation of organs.
• Hernia mesh implants can cause pain, infection, adhesions, bowel obstruction, organ perforation, and other complications.
• Spinal cord stimulators are implanted near the spine and send electrical currents to block the pain signals from reaching the brain as an alternative to opioid pain medications. These devices are responsible for 500 deaths and 80,000 injuries since 2008. (Pain News Network)
• Essure birth control devices have been reported to allow unintended pregnancy and then miscarriage, autoimmune diseases, pain, bleeding, and perforated organs.
• Power morcellators are devices used to shred fibroids and tissue so that they can be removed during laparoscopic surgery. However, if the tissue is pre-cancerous, it can spread bits of the tissue throughout the abdominal cavity and significantly increase the risk of cancer.
• Surgical robots that malfunction can cause perforated organs, surgical fires, and other complications that cause injury and death to patients.
• IVC filters, which can break apart sending tiny metal fragments throughout the patient’s body causing organ perforation and death.

The ICIJ has developed an International Medical Device Database, which includes more than 70,000 recalled medical devices, safety alerts, and field safety notices which have been executed in 11 countries. Users can search the database by device name, manufacturer, or country. The FDA also has its own list of medical device recalls.