A Colorado Bair Hugger lawsuit may be an option for patients who developed and suffered from infections after an operation with the device. The Bair Hugger warming blanket, which is commonly used on joint replacements and heart surgeries, is alleged to be responsible for severe medical conditions. Lawsuits claim that, the makers of the blanket failed to notify doctors and patients of the risks associated with using the blanket. In the most severe cases, patients have ended up needing an amputation and multiple surgical treatments. Affected patients and their families may be able to file a lawsuit and pursue compensation with the help of a Colorado Bair Hugger lawsuit attorney.
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 Colorado 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 Colorado Bair Hugger lawsuit attorney who can assist you throughout the legal process.
What Are Bair Hugger Warming Blankets?
The Bair Hugger is manufactured and distributed by the 3M Corporation. The warming blankets are used to help regulate the internal body temperature of patients during surgery and minimize the risk of the development of hyperthermia. Perioperative hypothermia is a potentially serious medical condition that can lead to greater risk of infection as well as pressure sores, a greater need for blood transfusions and longer hospital stays, among other complications. The blankets use a forced air warming process (FAW) that carries heated air through tubes in the blanket and onto the patient’s skin.
How Do Bair Hugger Warming Blankets Work?
The Bair Hugger blanket helps prevent hypothermia and complications related to rapid drops in body temperature through raising a patient’s internal temperature through forced air warming. The product features a disposable forced air warming blanket and a controller for the device that contains an electric fan and motor, an electric heating element, a thermostat, an air filter and a hose. The hose attaches to the blanket and when in use the fan takes in air through the filter before the heating element heats the air to a predetermined temperature recorded in the thermostat. The warmed air then makes its way through the hose to the blanket, which then fills with air, ultimately allowing the warm air to escape and cover the patient.
Risks of Bair Hugger Warming Blankets
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has received reports of various complications associated with the Bair Hugger blanket. However, a serious risk associated with these blankets, as alleged in lawsuits, is that it may cause pathogens to build up and be blown through the air-blowing system and into a patient’s surgical wounds. If this occurs, severe infections can result, some of which can be resistant to drugs.
In addition to the risk of serious infection, the Bair Hugger warming blanket has been linked with other complications and concerns. Reports that the blanket can cause burns, ignite or not work as directed have been received by the FDA.
Colorado Bair Hugger Lawsuit Expected
Lawsuits have been filed 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 these devices were:
- Not thoroughly test the Bair Hugger FAW system before the blankets were released into the marketplace
- Sold to medical centers without including a warning that there were dangerous risks associated with using the blankets
- Continually produced, advertised, and marketed even after they knew that using the blankets resulted in dangerous consequences
- Misrepresented in terms of their safety and effectiveness
Affected patients are encouraged to seek the assistance of a Colorado hip infection lawyer to help them understand their options.
How a Colorado 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 a Colorado Bair Hugger lawsuit attorney to learn more about their rights and remedies.
For more information, contact Attorney Group for Colorado 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.
