Hip infection lawyers note a warming blanket used during surgeries that is the subject of an Oklahoma Bair Hugger lawsuit. Patients claim that they developed severe infections when the blanket was used in their surgical procedures. Patients who have had hip replacement surgery or a heart operation are among those who allege the warming blanket caused them injury. In the most severe cases, patients have ended up needing an amputation and multiple surgical treatments.
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 Oklahoma 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 Oklahoma Bair Hugger lawsuit attorney who can assist you throughout the legal process.
What Are Bair Hugger Warming Blankets?
The Bair Hugger warming blanket was developed by Dr. Scott Augustine and is manufactured and distributed by the 3M Corporation. It is commonly used to regulate body temperature and prevent hypothermia in surgical patients. The blanket uses a process known as forced air warming (FAW) where heated air is blown through tubes in the blanket and out onto a patient’s skin. The FAW method has been claimed to be more efficient and more effective for surgical patients than using electric blankets or heated blankets.
How Do Bair Hugger Warming Blankets Work?
The Bair Hugger blanket consists of an electric motor and fan, an electric heating element, a thermostat, an air filter and a hose. The blanket is placed over or under the patient during surgery. The patient’s exposed skin is warmed when heated air blows into the blanket. This method is thought to be more effective than using dryer-heated blankets or electric blankets on surgical patients.
Risks of Bair Hugger Warming Blankets
There are numerous various risks associated with the Bair Hugger blanket, including the possibility for it to catch fire and burn the skin. However, one of the most serious risks associated with these warming blankets is that pathogens collect in the blanket’s heating system and deposits bacteria into a patient’s surgical site, increasing the risk of an infection and necessitating more surgical procedures.
These complications are reportedly more likely to occur in patients who have had heart or hip surgeries, and these problems have become so widespread that the inventor of Bair Hugger is reported to have admitted that the risks associated with using these blankets during surgery were so serious that they should stop being used in hospitals and surgical centers. One study reported suggested a 217,000 percent increase in contamination at the wound site when Bair Hugger warming blankets were used during operations.
Oklahoma Bair Hugger Lawsuit
Lawsuits have been filed in Oklahoma and other states claiming that the manufacturer of Bair Hugger warming blankets was negligent, that they 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:
- SWere sold them to medical centers without including a warning that there were dangerous risks associated with using the blankets
- Did not thoroughly test the Bair Hugger FAW system before the blankets were released into the marketplace
- CWere continually produced, advertised, and marketed the devices even after they knew that using the blankets resulted in dangerous consequences
- MWere misrepresented them in terms of their safety and effectiveness
Affected patients are seeking encouraged to seek the assistance of an Oklahoma 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 Oklahoma Bair Hugger lawsuit attorney to learn more about their rights and remedies.
Contact Us For More Information
For more information, contact Attorney Group for Oklahoma for more information. You can fill out the form on this page, call us at the number listed at the top of the page, or email us at info@attorneygroup.com.
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.
See our Frequently Asked Questions page for more information, and contact Attorney Group for Oklahoma today.
