A current list of medical devices that have been recalled can be found here
While most doctors and nurses are highly trained and responsible individuals, they are also inundated with rapidly changing medical devices allegedly on the cutting edge of technology being published and sold by very aggressive medical device manufacturers. This is a highly competitive field with numerous manufacturers producing similar devices to accomplish the same thing. Additionally, the technology continues to rapidly move forward so that last year’s device may not be the latest and greatest for this year. Many of these devices require hours of training for the doctors and nurses to use properly.
With this highly competitive field, and the rapid changes in technology, the average doctor has no true ability to determine if a device is or is not the best for their patients until they use them and have experience with them. Sometimes even this experience can be misleading and result in injuries to the patient’s.
Some medical devices are not that complicated but have resulted in serious injury. Devices such as hip replacement hardware, artificial limbs, laser treatment, silicone breast implants and other devices have proven to be defective despite careful use by the physicians for their patients. This has resulted in recalls and millions of dollars in compensation for those individuals trusting in these medical devices.
Also, medical device are not always evaluated and approved by the Federal drug administration. Warnings about possible adverse results are not always adequate to alert the doctor or the patient that the device should not be used.
It is very important to talk with an attorney who is familiar with and has experience in handling cases involving defective medical devices. Each case is different and requires a thorough knowledge of medicine, engineering and the law. Investigation and analysis is vital to determine what was actually at fault and hold those responsible if your case may proceed successfully. The Franecke law group has such experience.
