A South Carolina Bair Hugger lawsuit may be an option for patients who experienced severe infection following joint replacement surgery. Bair Hugger warming blankets are often used to regulate patient body temperature and reduce the risk of infection during certain surgical procedures, including hip replacements and heart surgery. However, some patients claim that the blanket has led to serious complications such as severe surgical site infection. Affected patients and their families may be eligible to file a South Carolina Bair Hugger lawsuit and pursue compensation for their injuries.
For more information, contact Attorney Group for South Carolina. 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 and How Does It Work?
Invented by Dr. Scott D. Augustine in 1987, Bair Hugger warming blankets are most commonly used to regulate patient body temperature and prevent unintended hypothermia in patients who undergo surgical procedures.
The Bair Hugger blanket is a type of forced-air warming (FAW) system consisting of a heater and blower connected by a flexible hose to a disposable, single-use blanket that is positioned over or under surgical patients. The heater/blower pulls the surrounding air into the heating element, heats the air, and sends the air through the hose to the blanket. The heated air warms the patients and exits the blanket through tiny perforations on the underside of the blanket.
Bair Hugger Warming Blanket Risks
Serious risks and complications have been associated with the use of Bair Hugger warming blankets. According to a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) adverse report, a patient claimed to have sustained second degree burns on the left and right anterior/medial thighs, resulting in blisters and burns to their skin.
Although Bair Hugger warming blankets are a widely-used FAW system in many hospital surgical procedures, Bair Hugger lawsuits note numerous peer-reviewed studies documenting and revealing critical safety shortcomings of the Bair Hugger FAW that should have prompted the manufacturers, 3M Company and Arizant Healthcare, Inc., to redesign or discontinue the product.
In 2011, an article published in the American Journal of Infection Control noted that the design of FAW systems using a certain filter was found to be inadequate for preventing the internal buildup and emission of pathogens and contaminants in the hospital operating room. Substandard intake filtration allowed airborne contaminants to penetrate the internal filter and attach to the internal surfaces of the blower. According to the study, this reintroduction of contaminants could contribute the risk of cross-infection.
Bair Hugger Lawsuits
Bair Hugger lawsuits have been filed and claim that, as a result of negligent actions on the part of the devices manufacturers, the internal airflow paths of Bair Hugger FAW blowers become contaminated with pathogens, expelling them into the operating room air.
One lawsuit alleges that the plaintiff sustained a periprosthetic infection containing Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) during knee replacement surgery due to the introduction of contaminants unto the open surgical site.
Lawsuits further allege that the manufacturers knew or should have known of the danger associated with the use of Bair Hugger warming blankets, as well as the defective nature of the product. Despite this knowledge, the manufacturers continued to design, manufacture, sell, distribute, market, promote, and/or supply the product to maximize sales and profits at the expense of the public health and safety.
Likewise, lawsuits claim that the manufacturer intentionally concealed information with respect to the Bair Hugger warming blankets and that the manufacturers represented the safety of their product as opposed to alternative warming systems.
As a result of the allegations against the manufacturers, the plaintiff claims to have suffered and continue to suffer from serious, permanent economic and non-economic injuries and will continue to incur expenses associated with those injuries.
How a South Carolina 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 South Carolina. 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.
