A Pennsylvania Bair Hugger lawsuit may be an option for patients who experienced severe infection following joint replacement surgery. Bair Hugger warming blankets are commonly used in surgical procedures such as hip replacements to help sustain body temperature and prevent the risk of unintended hypothermia. However, some patients allege that these warming blankets have been related to severe complications such as infection, and in some cases, resulting in additional operations. Affected patients and their families may be eligible to file a Pennsylvania Bair Hugger lawsuit and pursue compensation for their injuries.
For more information, contact Attorney Group for Pennsylvania. We offer free, confidential, no obligation consultations. We can help answer your questions, and if you choose to pursue a case we can connect you with an affiliated Bair Hugger lawsuit attorney who can assist you throughout the legal process.
What is a Bair Hugger Warming Blanket?
Bair Hugger warming blankets, a type of forced-air warming (FAW) system, are used during surgical procedures to control the patient’s body temperature and prevent risks associated with general anesthesia such as hypothermia. The use of FAW blankets such as the Bair Hugger system are ultimately more effective than heated or electric blankets to prevent hypothermia.
How Does a Bair Hugger Warming Blanket Work?
It is estimated that over 50,000 Bair Hugger warming blankets have been used in hospitals and clinics throughout the United States. The warming systems are made of a warming unit and a disposable, single-use blanket. The warming unit draws air through a heating element and air filter, passing the heated air from the unit to the blanket through a flexible hose.
Bair Hugger Warming Blanket Risks
Serious complications, including adverse reports sent to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) noting the risk of second-degree burns, have been associated with the Bair Hugger warming blanket system. Although the warming blankets are one of the most trusted FAW systems used in surgical procedures, other severe risks such as air contamination leading to surgical site infection (SSI) have been allegedly related to the use of the warming blankets.
According to the New York Times, Dr. Scott D. Augustine, the inventor of the Bair Hugger warming blanket, claims that the warming systems help spread bacteria, particularly in patients who undergo procedures for the heart and joints.
In a 2011 article published in the American Journal of Infection Control, researchers concluded that the design of widely-used FAW devices such as the Bair Hugger warming blanket was found to be inadequate in the prevention of initial buildup and emission of microbial contaminants into the operating room. The article further states that substandard intake filtration allowed airborne contaminants to penetrate the intake filter and attach to the internal surfaces within the FAW blowers.
Bair Hugger Lawsuits
Bair Hugger lawsuits have been filed claiming that the manufacturers, 3M Company and Arizant Healthcare, Inc., failed to exercise due care under the circumstances and, as a result, breached that duty in the following ways:
- Failing to properly and thoroughly test Bair Hugger FAW blankets before releasing the device to market;
- Failing to properly and thoroughly analyze the data resulting from the pre-market tests of the Bair Hugger FAW;
- Failing to conduct sufficient post-market testing and surveillance of the Bair Hugger FAW;
- Designing, manufacturing, marketing, advertising, distributing, and selling the Bair Hugger FAW to consumers without an adequate warning of the significant and dangerous risks of the Bair Hugger FAW and without proper instructions to avoid the harm which could foreseeably occur as a result of using the device;
- Failing to exercise due care when advertising and promoting the Bair Hugger FAW; and
- Negligently continuing to manufacture, market, advertise, and distribute the Bair Hugger FAW after the manufacturers knew or should have known about its adverse effects.
As a result of the manufacturers’ actions, omissions, and misrepresentations, the plaintiff alleges to have incurred and will continue to suffer serious and permanent economic and non-economic injuries.
How a Pennsylvania Bair Hugger Lawsuit Can Help
Medical device makers have a duty to provide safe products. If there are risks of harm associated with their products, they also must provide adequate warnings. If a product maker fails to fulfill this duty, it could be held liable in lawsuits for injuries that may result.
People injured by Bair Hugger warming blankets may be eligible to recover money for:
- Medical Expenses
- Lost Wages
- Pain and Suffering
The families of those who have died may be eligible to recover money for funeral expenses and the pain that comes with losing a loved one.
The Time You Have to Pursue a Claim is Limited. Contact Us Today.
For more information, contact Attorney Group for Pennsylvania. You can fill out the form on this page or contact us by phone or email.
After you contact us, an attorney will follow up to 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 or file a lawsuit for an injury. If you think you have a case, you should not delay taking action.
