When a consumer encounters a defective product in West Virginia, there are legal options available in order to seek accountability from the party deemed responsible. This is apparently what one woman from another state has done. She filed a lawsuit against a local hospital and medical supply manufacturer, claiming that she suffered injury due to a defective medical device. The lawsuit comes after a titanium plant that was implanted in her leg snapped and caused serious injury.
Reportedly, the woman was admitted to the hospital after breaking her femur. She underwent surgery. Screws, plates and cables were implanted to repair the broken femur. Several months after the surgery, she says that she felt the plate break inside her leg. Reportedly, she began to hear crunching noises.
She immediately went to the hospital. It was at this time that it was discovered that the titanium plate that had been implanted in her leg had snapped in half. She found out that she would need a second surgery and rehabilitation in a nursing home due to the faulty plate. The lawsuit against the product manufacturer and hospital alleges that it wrongly allowed a defective product to be used.
When a patient in West Virginia or elsewhere receives an implant in their body, it is expected that the implant is safe and effective. Unfortunately, this is not always the case, and a defective medical device may result in serious injury. In some cases, like this one, a second surgery and long-term care is necessary. A civil lawsuit may help in pursuing recovery of medical expenses and associated damages by seeking to hold the manufacturer — and/or other parties in the consumer supply chain — responsible for allowing a defective medical device to be used in patients.
Source: louisianarecord.com, “Medical supply company, hospital sued by patient over alleged failure of implant”, Kyle Barnett, Jan. 21, 2015