An Alabama Bair Hugger lawsuit may be an option for surgical patients who have developed severe infections following a hip replacement surgery or heart operation. Bair Hugger warming blankets, commonly used in surgical procedures, have been allegedly linked to this serious medical condition, which have required patients to undergo additional operations to treat. In the most severe cases, patients have ended up needing an amputation. Affected patients and their families may be able to file a lawsuit and recover damages with the help of a hip infection lawyer.
If you or a loved one developed a severe infection after undergoing hip or knee replacement surgery, a heart procedure, or some other type of surgery, contact Attorney Group for Alabama to learn more. We offer free, confidential, no obligation consultations. We can help answer your questions, and if you choose to pursue a claim we can connect you with an affiliated Alabama Bair Hugger lawsuit attorney who can assist you throughout the legal process.
What Is a Bair Hugger Warming Blanket?
Manufactured and distributed by the 3M Corporation, Bair Hugger warming blankets are used during surgical operations to regulate the body temperature of patients and prevent hypothermia from developing, a risk that many patients face when they are put under general anesthesia. These blankets use a forced air warming process (FAW) that transports heated air through the tubes in the blanket and onto the skin of the patient. This process ultimately keeps the patient’s body temperature consistent and is ultimately more effective and efficient than using heated or electric blankets to prevent hypothermia.
How Does a Bair Hugger Warming Blanket Work?
All Bair Hugger warming blankets are designed to be disposable and it is estimated that over 50,000 of them were used in hospitals and surgical clinics throughout the U.S. These blankets are comprised of a disposable forced air warming blanket in addition to a controller. This controller comes with an electric motor and fan, an electric heating element, a thermostat, an air filter, and a hose. To use one of these blankets, the hose nozzle must be connected to the disposable blanket so that the fan can draw air in through the heater, allowing the heating element to get the air to a specific temperature. This heated air then makes its way through the hose and into the blanket.
Risks of Bair Hugger Warming Blankets
Reports have been made to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration claiming that these surgical heating blankets have caught fire during operations, caused burns, and that they have failed to work as they were intended to. However, a serious risk associated with these blankets, as alleged in lawsuits, is that pathogens accumulate in the blanket’s heating system and deposit themselves at the surgical site, soon after leading to infections that are severe and resistant to drugs.
By 2010, the inventor of this warming blanket device admitted that the risks associated with using these blankets during surgery were so severe that they should stop being used in hospitals and surgical centers.
Alabama Bair Hugger Lawsuit
Lawsuits have been filed claiming that the manufacturer of Bair Hugger warming blankets was negligent, that they failed to properly warn patients of the dangers associated with using these blankets, and that the manufacturer should be held liable for selling a product that was dangerous. More specifically, some of these lawsuits claim that the maker of these devices:
- Did not thoroughly test the Bair Hugger FAW system before the blankets were released into the marketplace
- Were sold to medical centers without including a warning that there were dangerous risks associated with using the blankets
- Were continually produced, advertised, and marketed even after they knew that using the blankets resulted in dangerous consequences
- Were misrepresented in terms of their safety and effectiveness
Affected patients can seek the assistance of an Alabama hip infection lawyer to help them understand their options.
Injured Patients May Be Entitled to Compensation
Medical device makers have a duty to provide safe products. If there are risks of harm associated with their devices, they also must provide adequate warnings. If a device maker fails to fulfill this duty, it could be held liable for injuries that may result.
Patients who suffered severe infections from a Bair Hugger warming blanket may be entitled to compensation for damages, including:
- Medical expenses
- The permanency of the injury
- Pain, suffering, and mental anguish
- Loss of income or ability to work
If a patient dies from their infection, family members may be entitled to compensation for the wrongful death of their loved one, including:
- Conscious pain and suffering of a loved one prior to death
- Pain, suffering, and mental anguish from the loss of a loved one
- Funeral expenses
Patients who have suffered severe infections from Bair Hugger warming blankets, as well as the families of those who have died as a result of complications with the device, are encouraged to seek the advice of an Alabama Bair Hugger lawsuit attorney to learn more about their rights and remedies.
Contact Us For More Information
For more information, contact Attorney Group for Alabama for more information.
When you contact us, an attorney will follow up with you to speak with you about your case or answer questions that you might have. There is no cost or obligation to speak with us, and any information you provide will be kept confidential.
Please note that the law limits the time you have to pursue a claim for an injury. If you think you have a case, you should not delay taking action.
