NC Defective Medical Devices

Patients understand that certain medical products, including pacemakers, catheters and insulin devices, can carry risks, but most people accept the dangers if the product's benefits outweighs its risks.  However, consumers should not have to accept hidden risks. The fact is that many medical devices that are meant to save or prolong lives instead injure consumers because of poor design, defects in manufacture or a failure during use.  Manufacturers are bound by law to ensure their products perform as marketed.  If a patient is harmed due to a product defect, the manufacturer of the product may be found liable for damages.

The results of defective medical equipment can be devastating.  If a medical device does not perform its job, the patient is at the mercy of the disease being treated ? and often faces medical complications from the device itself. For example, defects in certain models of Guidant Corp. defibrillators caused a high moisture build-up in the device which caused malfunctions.  These malfunctions resulted in loss of consciousness, heart failure and death.  A memory error in another set of defibrillators resulted in a delay in life-saving shocks.

Sometimes the side effects of a medical device can be even worse than the disease the device helps to regulate.  Patients who received drug coated heart stents from Cordis and Boston Scientific find themselves at an increased risk of blood clots, heart attacks, strokes and death.  Even products that treat less serious ailments, such as ReNu with MoistureLoc contact solution, have been found to be dangerous.  On April 10, 2006, sales of that Bausch & Lomb Inc. contact lens solution were suspended when the product was linked to fusarium keratitis, a fungal infection that can cause serious eye injuries, including blindness.

Whether it is problems with defibrillators, heart stents, dialysis machines, or contact lens solutions, a manufacturer can be found liable for damages when their product does not perform as intended and causes harm to the patient.   Manufacturers can be found at fault for both personal devices as well as hospital equipment.  In some cases, the defect can be traced to another source other than the manufacturer.  Finding where the fault lies can be a difficult task, but a dangerous medical device lawyer will have the resources necessary to uncover the responsible parties.

If you or someone you love has been injured due to a defective medical device, you have every right to seek justice and compensation for the injuries sustained.  To assure that your rights are protected, you should be represented by a qualified defective medical device attorney.

At Hardison & Associates, we represent the people, not corporations.  Medical device companies have top-notch attorneys working for them and so should you.  We believe in ethical but aggressive litigation to help you win the compensation that you deserve. We can be reached by calling (800) 434-8399 or you may contact our medical device lawyers online.