Defective Medical Devices

New Haven, Connecticut Defective Medical Device Attorneys

There is no room for error in the design, manufacture, and marketing of medical devices and drugs. A design defect or manufacturing flaw may mean the difference between life and death for people who rely on pacemakers, defibrillators, intrathecal drug pumps, cardiac stents, certain drugs and other medical devices.

The product liability attorneys at the law office of Jacobs, Grudberg, Belt, Dow & Katz in New Haven, know how to expose design flaws, manufacturing defects, and dangerous drug side effects that injure and kill people. Working with design engineers, chemists, toxicologists, specialist physicians and other experts, we explain why a medical device failed, how a drug caused strokes and serious medical complications, and why a manufacturer acted negligently.

If you’ve suffered serious injury, or a loved one has died, due to a faulty medical device or a dangerous drug, contact the personal injury lawyers at Jacobs, Grudberg, Belt, Dow & Katz today and schedule a free consultation to discuss how we can help you.

Dangerous Drugs and Defective Medical Devices

The law office of Jacobs, Grudberg, Belt, Dow & Katz represents clients injured due to the following:

• Medtronic pacemakers
• Medtronic deep brain stimulators
• Medtronic intrathecal drug pumps
• Guidant pacemakers
• Defective implantable cardiac defibrillators
• Knee prostheses and artificial knee joints used in knee replacement surgery
• Hip prostheses and artificial hip joints used in hip surgery
• Defective catheters
• Defective cardiac drug coated stents
• Other dangerous or defective medical devices
• Vioxx, Bextra, Oxycontin, and other dangerous drugs and pharmaceuticals

Establishing Negligence on the Part of Drug Companies and Medical Device Manufacturers

Whether a pharmaceutical or a medical device is involved, manufacturers are required to conduct tests of a new product to ensure its safety. Additionally, quality control measures should be undertaken to prevent defective products from leaving the factory. Manufacturers are also required to collect information concerning injuries and side effects after the drug or device has been approved for sale. In the case of certain drugs, tests conducted by a drug’s manufacturer, as well as independent tests, demonstrate a link between the drug in question and dangerous side effects such as heart attack, stroke, gastro-intestinal ulcers, and other complications. Sometimes this information does not come to light until after the drug is widely available — and sometimes not until after people have been taking it for years. Implantable devices must function properly within the body for years at a time. Pacemakers that use batteries or wiring that is prone to corrosion should not have been sold.

If these drugs and medical devices had been tested properly, and inspected properly during manufacture, they would not have been installed, and people would not later be injured by them. Were there comprehensive quality control measures in place? Were they followed? Were they updated as problems with the product came to light? Or were the data and results suppressed while the drug or device continued to be sold for use in unsuspecting patients?

Demanding Accountability and Compensation

Manufacturers of dangerous drugs and defective medical devices have often tried to deny any negligence on their part. Typically, they blame misuse of their product or claim that a pre-existing condition caused a patient’s adverse reaction or death. Our defective medical device attorneys have the background, knowledge and expert witness resources needed to address technical, scientific issues these kinds of cases often revolve around. We’re prepared to meet medical device manufacturers and drug companies in court and establish a balance of power by presenting nationally recognized experts who can testify on behalf of our clients.

If you believe you have a case involving a defective medical device or dangerous drug, contact the personal injury attorneys at the law office of Jacobs, Grudberg, Belt, Dow & Katz today.