Many West Virginia residents rely on a medical device, either temporarily or permanently, to maintain a better quality of life. An infusion pump is a medical device that can deliver medicines, blood or necessary fluids to a patient. Many of these patients may now be looking into a products liability claim in a civil court.
Recently, the FDA issued the most serious class of recall for some of these devices after serious injury and even death were reported by victims. The Becton Dickinson Alaris System, a popular brand of infusion pump, has been found to malfunction. The FDA says issues with the device’s software and system, coupled with errors during routine use, made it necessary to issue a Class 1 recall, which is the most serious type of recall the FDA has.
These devices were used on patients of all ages, even infants. After 55 serious injuries and one patient death, the FDA issued an immediate recall of the pump. The victims, they say, experienced delays or over-infusion as a direct result of the device’s known malfunctions. For a patient whose life depends on timely infusions at safe dosages, such a malfunction could prove fatal. The most shocking detail is that the FDA has recalled this same device 22 times since 2008, and at least 10 of those recalls had been the serious Class 1.
Often, it takes a while for such recalls to become public knowledge. If a West Virginia resident realizes that he or she has been the victim of one of the faulty pumps, the victim may want to consider legal action. It is often helpful to consult an attorney who has experience handling products liability claims, so that a victim has a professional on his or her side to fight for justice and any appropriate compensation.
