Personal Injury Lawyers Filing Lawsuits Against Abbott Heartmate 3 Left Ventricular Assist System
How to Receive Full Compensation For Your Abbot Heartmate 3 Injury
Nationwide, people have filed lawsuits against the manufacturer Abbott claiming damages associated with a graft occlusion caused by the Heartmate 3 left ventricular assist system since it poses a severe risk of death or bodily injury. People just like you all across the United States are filing lawsuits to recover losses resulting from the dangerous device. Accordingly, Abbott must be held accountable for their carelessness as many have been injured and have died as a result of the defective product.
Parker Waichman LLP represents hundreds of clients who are in positions just like yours. Victims of unscrupulous medical device manufacturers feel pained over watching the companies continue to do business as usual while the victim and their family watch helplessly. However, our clients have found peace after our attorneys vigorously pursued justice on their behalf. Our medical device defect attorneys help those who cannot help themselves, especially when Abbott’s refuses to remove their dangerous product from the marketplace. Our clients experienced justice after retaining our attorneys to aggressively fight for them by filing a lawsuit and taking the case to trial or arriving at a settlement that fully compensated them for their losses.
What is the Abbott Heartmate 3 Left Ventricular Assist System?
Abbott’s Heartmate 3 left ventricular assist system or Heartmate for short helps people suffering from “end-rage left ventricular heart failure” to live longer by assisting the heart pump blood to the body. Doctors use the Heartmate in to meet the needs of three different types of patients. The first use doctors call “bridge therapy.” Quite simply, the Heartmate bridges the gap between a healthy heart and the heart transplant. The device is no longer needed once the new heart beats on its own. The second use for Heartmate is as a “destination therapy.” The Heartmate and other devices operating similarly are a permanent solution for people who cannot have a heart transplant. The third use for the Heartmate is as a “bridge to recovery.” The Heartmate helps people suffering from temporary heart failure to regain normal heart function after an illness or injury limited blood output flow from the patient’s left ventricle.
The Heartmate is not an artificial heart. The device helps the heart pump blood because the heart cannot do so on its own. Batteries power the pump, which rests near the left ventricle of the heart. A tube connects the pump to the aorta, and in concert with the remaining natural function of the left ventricle, pumps blood to the entire body.
The batteries that power the pump are connected to the device by a line called a driveline. The driveline exits the body cavity and links to a battery pack which the patient wears on the outside of the body. The battery pack attaches to a belt and harness that goes around the waist and over the shoulders. The battery pack connects to a controller which is also a component of the belt and harness.
What Went Wrong with the Heartmate?
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a Class I recall of the Heartmate on April 5, 2018, the most urgent recall that the FDA can issue. The FDA reserves Class I recalls for devices or medications whose failures or side effects could lead to death or serious bodily injury. In a situation as dire as this, any failure of this machine could lead to death. The FDA noted in its recall notice that all 4,878 devices produced since September 2014 are subject to recall.
The device malfunction observed by the FDA pertains to the graft. The graft which leads from the heart to the aorta can twist. The twisting motion results in a blockage of the graft, thereby restricting or stopping blood flow from the heart to the aorta. Physicians refer to an obstruction or closure of this nature as an occlusion.
The Heartmate’s low blood flow alarm will sound when an occlusion occurs. This is a perilous situation for the patient. Low or blocked blood flow can result in blood clots, which can cause serious injury and death to a patient.
Occlusion does not occur instantly. The FDA determined that the twisting of the graft, which causes a blockage, take time. Physicians make sure that the graft is adequately secured and straight when implanted. Over time, the tube twists and causes a blockage, most probably due to a design defect.
What Should You Do If You Have a Heartmate 3 Left Ventricular Assist System?
All of these devices manufactured by Abbott are subject to this recall. Abbott insists that immediate replacement be unnecessary. However, patients who observe a blood flow warning must contact their physicians immediately to inform them about the issue. This issue is a matter of life and death, and therefore people using the Heartmate must notify their doctors about all issues relating to the device.
Abbott recommends a relatively conservative course of treatment, suggesting that doctors follow established protocols and obtain an echocardiogram. Doctors must use imaging techniques to measure blood input and output levels. Reduced output can indicate an occlusion.
According to Abbott, surgery is the last resort. Abbott suggests that doctors rule out every possibility before resolving the issue surgically. The surgical procedure sounds simple but considering the state of health of the individual in question, surgery could be a very traumatic event, with dire consequences for the patient. Operation requires the physician to replace the twisted outflow graft with a straight one.
How Do I Know If I Have A Claim?
Call today to discuss your situation with one of our Heartmate recall lawsuit attorneys. They are adept at pursuing claims against major medical manufacturers such as Abbott who rush medical devices to the market without conducting full trials. Most likely, if Abbott had performed a full trial instead of seeking an exemption from the FDA, the company would have observed this issue and taken steps to correct it.
Your Parker Waichman Heartmate recall lawyer will work with you to determine the value of your claim. You may be eligible to receive compensation for your additional medical bills, surgical bills, economic losses, as well as your pain and suffering.
Other claims for compensation may apply to your situation. That is why it is vital to the success of your claim for you to call right away. All legal claims have time limitations. You must act quickly before the time to file a legal claim passes. You will have no remedy if that happens.
Taking on a large medical device manufacturer like Abbott by yourself might be tempting. However, it is next to impossible for someone who is unfamiliar with products liability law to pursue a claim on their own. Some people believe that they are saving money by doing so but in reality, you cost yourself money. Our lawyers do not take a fee unless they recover financial compensation for you. They will pay all out-of-pocket costs up front and recoup them from any settlement or judgment you receive. There is no economic risk on your part by retaining one of our expert medical device defect attorneys to pursue a claim for damages on your behalf aggressively.
Act Now To Protect
Your Rights
Call Parker Waichman LLP today to make sure that you do not forfeit your chance to obtain the justice you deserve for you and your family. We have recovered over $2 billion in financial compensation for our clients. With our record of success, why let another firm handle your Heartmate 3 recall claim?
Consultations with Parker Waichman LLP’s Heartmate lawsuit lawyers are always complimentary and no obligation. Call 1-800-YOURLAWYER (1-800-968-7529) to schedule yours today.
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