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RECENT CASES |
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GENERAL INFORMATION |
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Medtronic Recall: Heart Lead / Defibrillator
Wires Recalled: Updated January 2008 |
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| Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein,
LLP represents patients nationwide with the
recalled Sprint Fidelis line of defibrillator
lead wires made by Medtronic Inc. |
| Leads are
thin insulated wires connected to
a defibrillator that carry electric
impulses to the heart. Many of our
clients experienced terrifying episodes
of repeated electrical shocks due
to their lead having fractured. |
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| Lieff Cabraser
investigated patient complaints concerning
the Medtronic heart lead for months
and has gathered substantial evidence
of Medtronic's misconduct. On the
same day as the recall was announced,
heart patients represented by Lieff
Cabraser and co-counsel filed the
first personal injury and class action
lawsuits against Medtronic in the
nation. |
- In 2008, a Fremont, California
man filed a class-action
lawsuit against Medtronic. This
lawsuit could affect thousands
of Californians who have Medtronic
heart leads.
- On October 15, 2007, due to
reports of at least five patient
deaths associated with defibrillator
leads sold under the brand name
Sprint Fidelis, Medtronic issued
a recall of the product. Medtronic
stated that the Sprint Fidelis
leads were prone to cracking,
with potentially life-threatening
consequences like firing repeatedly
and unnecessarily, or not sending
a jolt when needed.
- Your wallet card will specify
the manufacturer of your defibrillator
leads. The Sprint Fidelis leads
that have been recalled have the
model numbers 6949, 6948, 6931
and 6930.
- The recalled leads have been
implanted in an estimated 235,000
patients since 2004. They are connected
to defibrillators either made by
Medtronic or by another defibrillator
manufacturer such as Guidant or
St. Jude for which Medtronic supplied
the lead.
- On October 18, 2007, it was reported
that U.S. Senator Charles Grassley
has called on officials at Medtronic
and the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) to explain why "Medtronic
took months to stop the sales of
the faulty lead, even though the
problem had been reported in a
peer-reviewed journal months prior."
- On October 19th, the Wall
Street Journal reported that
the recalled Medtronic heart
leads may pose a higher risk
of fracture in younger adults
and children, a group for whom
the devices were often used because
of their small diameter. While
children are a small share of
the patients who received the
wires, the leads tend to come
under greater stress in more-active
people, including kids, adolescents
and younger adults.
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| Lieff
Cabraser represents
persons across America
injured by the Medtronic
Sprint Fidelis heart
lead. Click
here to submit
your case. |
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Our
firm has been investigating
Medtronic's alleged
misconduct for months
and filed the first
personal injury lawsuits
in the nation against
Medtronic. |
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Our
attorneys have years
of experience successfully
representing clients
in personal injury
cases. |
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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
you where you live,
at no cost, to discuss
your legal rights
and answer your questions. |
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We
have retained product
safety and medical
experts nationwide
to assist our clients
with their claims. |
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In
addition to a team
of experienced lawyers,
we have dedicated
nurses, legal assistants
and case clerks to
assist our attorneys
in the Medtronic
recall litigation.
Learn more about advantages we
offer our clients. |
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| In lawsuits against
Medtronic prepared by Lieff Cabraser, our
clients allege that Medtronic misrepresented
the safety of the Sprint Fidelis leads
and they suffered massive, unnecessary
electrical shocks. |
| Hundreds of injuries
linked to Sprint Fidelis heart defibrillator
wires were reported to the Food and Drug
Administration last year. The FDA had received
599 reports of malfunctions and injuries
associated with the Fidelis leads as of
January 10, 2007, including 204 where patients
had been inappropriately shocked. The high
and early failure rate of Medtronic Sprint
Fidelis leads was also reported in a medical
journal in 2006. Yet, Medtronic failed
to issue a recall and instead continued
to sell the devices. |
| Medtronic has
not disclosed the precise mechanism of
the Sprint Fidelis lead fracture failures.
The complaints allege that the defect is
attributable to the small diameter of the
coil and conductors in the lead which make
it prone to stress damage both during and
after implant surgery. Fracture eventually
occurs when the conductor is critically
overstressed. |
| 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. |
| 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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| In the case of
the patient's death, the family of the
victim may file a wrongful death action
and seek damages. |
| If you or a loved
one have been injured by a defective Medtronic
heart device, please
click here to contact an experienced personal
injury attorney at the national law firm
of Lieff Cabraser. We have successfully
represented hundreds of patients across
America who received faulty or recalled
medical devices, including patients with
recalled heart devices and pacemakers.
Or you may call us toll-free at 1-800-948-2181. |
| 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.
Disclaimer: The hiring of legal
professionals is an important decision that should not be based on
advertising alone. Please read our disclaimer. |
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| Copyright © 2008 Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP |
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