An Arkansas Bair Hugger lawsuit may be an option for patients who claim that the blanket led to severe infections. Lawsuits allege that the blanket’s manufacturer did not disclose the risks of infection and that infections attributed to the use of the warming blankets reportedly resulted in amputations and multiple surgical treatments for some patients. Heart surgery and hip replacement patients are among those who allege the blanket caused them injury. Affected patients and their families may be eligible to file a lawsuit with the help of hip infection lawyers.
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 Arkansas 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 Arkansas Bair Hugger lawsuit attorney who can assist you throughout the legal process.
What Is a Bair Hugger Warming Blanket?
3M Corporation manufactures and distributes the Bair Hugger warming blanket. It is designed to be used on surgical patients to help regulate and maintain their body temperature and prevent hypothermia from setting in, a common risk for general anesthesia patients. This type of hypothermia can cause pressures sores, increased wound infections and longer hospital stays. Bair Hugger warming 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.
How Does a Bair Hugger Warming Blanket Work?
The warm air is delivered through tubes connected to a portable heater that creates the hot air that ultimately reaches the patient’s exposed skin. Some of the additional components used within the device include a hose, air filter, electric motor, electric fan and thermostat. These blankets are designed to be for single-patient use only, meaning each blanket should be disposed of after a patient has used it. Bair Hugger warming blankets were generally considered to be much more effective at warming patients than other electric or heated blankets.
Risks of Bair Hugger Warming Blankets
There are numerous risks associated with the Bair Hugger blanket, including the possibility for it to spontaneously catch fire and burn the skin. However, the most serious risk associated with these warming blankets is its alleged risk of depositing bacteria and pathogens into a patient’s surgical site, increasing the risk of an infection and necessitating more surgical procedures.
These types of risks have, according to news reports, led the inventor of the Bair Hugger, Dr. Scott Augustine, to admit that the risks associated with using these blankets during surgery were so serious that they should stop being used in hospitals and surgical centers.
Arkansas Bair Hugger Lawsuit
Lawsuits are expected to be filed in Arkansas and other states claiming that the manufacturer of Bair Hugger warming blankets was negligent, that it 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:
- Were continually produced, advertised, and marketed even after they knew that using the blankets resulted in dangerous consequences
- 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 misrepresented in terms of their safety and effectiveness
Affected patients are encouraged to seek the assistance of an Arkansas hip infection lawyer to help them understand their options.
How an Arkansas Bair Hugger Lawsuit Can Help
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 Arkansas Bair Hugger lawsuit attorney to learn more about their rights and remedies.
For more information, contact Attorney Group for Arkansas today. 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.
