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RECENT CASES |
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GENERAL INFORMATION |
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Ancure Endograft Class Action and Lawsuits |
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| On June 12, 2003, federal
prosecutors charged Endovascular Technologies with
10 felony counts, including false statements to
the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in connection
with the Ancure device. |
| The Ancure device
is used to treat an abdominal aortic aneurysm,
a weak spot in the wall of the large artery
that carries blood from the heart to branch
arteries throughout the body. The device
consists of a delivery system and an implant.
In a minimally invasive operation, a surgeon
makes a small incision in the patient's groin,
inserts a tube (catheter) through the artery,
and implants a graft into the aorta in the
abdomen. The graft stays in the body permanently,
but the delivery catheter is removed. |
| The Ancure endograft
device was made by EndoVascular Technologies
(EVT) of Menlo Park, California, a subsidiary
of Indianapolis-based Guidant Corporation. |
| Lieff Cabraser attorneys
represent Ancure patients in personal injury
lawsuits. Federal prosecutors alleged that
the Ancure device often malfunctioned and Guidant
asked doctors to use it in ways not approved
by the government. |
| For example, when a surgeon
could not remove part of a medical device stuck
in a patient with a serious heart condition,
Guidant's sales representative recommended
breaking the product's handle -- a procedure
that was not approved by the FDA. |
| EVT was charged with
two counts of failing to report as many as
2,600 malfunctions of the device, thus preventing
the public and physicians from learning about "recurring
malfunctions and other risks." |
| EVT was also accused
of failing to report that other, more invasive
operations were required after the device failed.
The same day the complaint was filed, EVT plead
guilty to the charges and eventually paid more
than $92 million in fines. |
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Our Guidant
defect lawyers have years of experience
successfully representing patients
with faulty or defective medical implants. |
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There is no
charge or obligation for our review
of your case. |
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We are pleased
to visit Guidant patients, or families
of loved ones who died, at or near
where you live and at no cost, to discuss
your legal rights and answer your questions. |
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To assist
our clients with their claims, we have
on staff nurses with cardiac training
and have retained physicians to provide
expert advice. |
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| EVT informed the FDA
during a 19-month period from September 1999,
when the FDA approved the device, until March
2001, when the company withdrew it from the
market, of 172 malfunctions of the device and
injuries to patients during surgery to insert
it. In March 2001, EVT admitted that it had
failed to submit an additional 2,628 incidents
out of a total of 7,632 medical devices sold.
Among the unreported incidents were 12 deaths
and 57 emergency operations performed when
the device's delivery system became stuck in
the patient's body. |
| After withdrawing the
Ancure device from the market in March 2001,
Guidant and EVT reintroduced the device in August
2001 with FDA-approved modifications in the device's
warnings to customers and instructions to doctors.
On June 16, 2003, Guidant announced that it would
stop making the Ancure Endograft System. |
| The law in most states provides
individuals with legal claims and the right to
compensation for injuries they suffer as a result
of a defective product or the negligence of another.
The injured person may file a lawsuit seeking compensation
for his or her pain and suffering, medical expenses,
lost past and future wages and punitive damages. |
| Damages sought against manufacturers
of an allegedly defective medical device typically
include damages for: |
- Physical pain and suffering, mental anguish
and physical impairment;
- Medical expenses associated with the allegedly
defective product; and
- Loss of earnings and/or earning capacity.
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| Founded in 1972, Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein,
LLP is an over fifty attorney
law firm with offices in San Francisco, New York and Nashville. For the last five years,
the National Law Journal has recognized Lieff Cabraser
as one of the top 20 plaintiffs’ law firms in America. |
| For our personal injury cases, we bring a team of experienced
lawyers. Each client is assigned an individual lawyer. In addition, we have
on staff multiple nurses, legal assistants, scientific analysts and case
clerks to assist the attorneys. To learn more about our firm, click
here. |
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| Trademark
Notice: Personal Injury Lawyer America is an electronic newsletter
from Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP. Lieff Cabraser
represents clients in a wide range of cases, including personal
injury and wrongful
death lawsuits. Our personal injury attorneys
| lawyers are committed to providing the very best representation
and support possible for our clients. This website provides information
on the legal rights of the injured and the latest news on product
defects and related lawsuits. |
Lieff Cabraser
is not affiliated in any way with any trademark owner. The use of
any trademarks on this site is for product identification and information
purposes only.
About Lieff Cabraser: We have
offices in San Francisco, New York and Nashville. Our lawyers have
represented clients in personal injury, wrongful death and
rollover crashes and product defect lawsuits across America, including
residents of Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California,
Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho,
Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland,
Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, North
Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada,
New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South
Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin,
West Virginia and Wyoming.
Among the cases our personal injury
attorneys are prosecuting are the Medtronic heart lead recall, the
AMO contact lens solution recall, the Peter Pan peanut butter recall, Guidant
pacemaker defects, SUV
rollover accidents, popcorn
workers lung injuries, and Ford
switch fires.
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advertising alone. Please read our disclaimer. |
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| Copyright © 2008 Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP |
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