• August 2010: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issues it’s first safety communication about retrievable IVC filters. FDA states that it has received 921 device adverse event reports involving IVC filters since 2005, and recommends that doctors consider removing IVC filters from patients as soon as risk for pulmonary embolism subsides.
• 2012: Class action lawsuits filed in Florida, California, and Philadelphia against the manufacturer, C.R. Bard. These lawsuits allege that Bard’s IVC filters are defective and dangerous. It also alleges that the manufacturer failed to properly warn the public of the products’ potentially serious side effects and risks.
• 2013:  A review of patients at Boston Medical Center who received IVC filters between 2003 and 2011 found only 8.5 percent of the filters had been successfully removed from patients, and that unsuccessful attempts to retrieve filters from patients happened in 18.3 percent of cases.
• May 2014: The FDA issues it’s second safety communication about retrievable IVC filters amid growing concerns. FDA suggests that retrievable IVC Filters be removed between 29 and 54 days after implantation, and that further studies are being conducted to help address IVC filter device safety.
• October 2014: More than 100 IVC filter lawsuits in 11 districts throughout the country filed against Cook Medical are consolidated to a Multi-District Litigation (MDL) in the Southern District of Indiana.
• July 2015: FDA issues a warning letter to IVC filter manufacturer, C.R. Bard, citing numerous violations against FDA regulation.
• August 2015: IVC filter lawsuits against manufacturer, C.R. Bard, have been consolidated into a federal Multi-District Litigation (MDL) in Arizona.
• September 2015: NBC Nightly News published a report about the safety of IVC filters after a year long investigation linked 27 deaths and 300 injuries to the recovery filter.

We Can Help

If you or a loved one have suffered because of an IVC filter, or have been injured, you may be entitled to financial compensation. Recovery may include compensations for your medical bills, pain and suffering, and loss of wages. To find out if you have a claim, please call Avram Blair & Associates, P.C. toll-free at (800) 679-3816 or fill out our online contact form for a free consultation.