Columbus Ohio Defective Guidant Defibrillator Attorneys
Guidant
implanted defibrillator claims
Defibrillator complaint filed in Columbus federal court - July 19, 2005
Defibrillator Newsletter - Heart Device Joint Prosecution
Alliance
What
is an implanted defibrillator?
An implantable defibrillator is an electronic device implanted in the body and
intended to prevent cardiac arrest from severe ventricular tachycardia. An
electrode is connected between the heart and a tiny computer in the
defibrillator. The computer monitors the heartbeat, and if it detects an
arrhythmia, it activates a built-in pacemaker to restabilize the heart's
rhythm. If that fails, it delivers a small defibrillating electrical jolt to
the heart. In an extreme case, it resorts to a far stronger jolt to reset the
heart rate.
Who is
Guidant?
Guidant refers to itself as a world leader in the design and development of
cardiovascular medical products. It is a major manufacturer of implantable
medical devices, including defibrillators. Its corporate headquarters are in
Indianapolis, with major operations in California, Minnesota, Texas,
Washington, Puerto Rico and Ireland. Guidant is in the process of being
acquired by Johnson and Johnson which has its headquarters in New Jersey.
What
is the problem with Guidant defibrillators?
On June 17, 2005, Guidant announced that it was recalling 50,000 of its
implantable defibrillators, 38,000 of which are in use in the United States.
The defibrillators can short-circuit, causing them to fail and not work as
intended. The company has received reports of the device malfunctioning at
least 45 times, causing at least two deaths. Guidant came under fire earlier
this spring after reports that it had failed to alert physicians about
potential problems with one of the defibrillator models, the Ventak Prizm 2 DR.
A 21-year-old Minnesota college student died in March when his defibrillator
short-circuited while he was mountain-biking in Utah. A second death has been
linked to another model.
What
models are defective?
- Contak Renewal (Model H135), manufactured on or
before August 26, 2004.
- Contak Renewal 2 (Model H155) CRT-Ds, manufactured on
or before August 26, 2004.
- Ventak Prizm 2 DR (Model 1861), manufactured on or
before April 16, 2002.
- Ventak Prizm AVT
- Vitality AVT
- Renewal 3 AVT
- Renewal 4 AVT
Who
has a claim?
1. Anyone with
one of the models listed above that failed, resulting in uncontrolled
ventricular tachycardia requiring documented medical care, who survived the incident,
has a claim for injuries and a claim for the cost of taking out the defective
defibrillator, the cost of replacement, and the cost of implanting the
replacement.
2. The family
of a person with one of the models listed above that failed resulting in death,
has a claim for wrongful death.
3. A person
with one of the models above that has not failed, has a claim for the cost of
taking out the defective defibrillator, the cost of replacement, and the cost
of implanting the replacement.
How do
I make a claim or get more information?
Contact attorney Andrew
List right now
For more information about protecting your legal rights, or for a free
consultation about your situation, please call or e-mail the law firm of
Clark, Perdue & List. We promise to respond promptly.
