Hip infection lawyers note a warming blanket used during surgeries may become the subject of a Texas Bair Hugger lawsuit alleging that the manufacturer of the Bair Hugger failed to warn hospitals, doctors and patients of potential risks associated with the blankets. Hip replacement and heart surgery patients are some of the people reportedly hardest hit by infections.
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 Texas 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 Texas Bair Hugger lawsuit attorney who can assist you throughout the legal process.
What are Bair Hugger Warming Blankets?
Bair Hugger warming blankets regulate the body temperatures of surgical patients. Stable body temperatures decrease the likelihood that anesthetized patients will develop perioperative hypothermia. Hypothermia during surgery can lead to increased rates of infection, blood transfusions and pressure sores. Bair Hugger warming blankets are manufactured and distributed by the 3M Corporation.
How Do the Bair Hugger Blankets Work?
The Bair Hugger warming blankets consist of a portable heater/blower, a hose and a disposable blanket. The blankets use a forced air warming process (FAW). The blower sends warm air from the heater into the inflatable blanket through the hose. The blanket may be placed on top or underneath the patient to warm the exposed skin. FAW advocates claim it is more effective than electric or standard blankets.
Alleged Risks of Bair Hugger Warming Blanket
Bair Hugger warming blankets are alleged in lawsuits to cause severe infections that are sometimes resistant to drug treatment. Surgical patients claim to have become injured when bacteria from the heater was deposited on the surgical site. Bair Hugger lawsuits allege that particles are transported from operating room floors by the warm air that flows from the heater. In addition, pathogens housed in the blowers are allegedly expelled and carried to patients when the devices are in use.
The lawsuits also claim that the manufacturer of the warming blankets compromised the safety of the Bair Hugger devices when they altered the design of the blower’s filtering system. Following the redesign, which took place sometime between 2002 and 2009, the Bair Hugger FAW units are alleged to have become more likely to be contaminated with microbes.
Severe and resistant infections are alleged to be the main risk when the Bair Hugger warming blankets are used on hip replacement and heart surgery patients, which can lead to such complications as:
- Removal and replacement of artificial hips due to infection
- Prolonged and multiple treatment for Bair Hugger infections
- Scars and disfigurement from infection or treatment
- Amputation of limbs due to irreparable damage from infection
Injured patients and their families are encouraged to seek the advice of a Texas Bair Hugger lawsuit attorney to learn more about their legal rights.
Texas Bair Hugger Lawsuit Expected
Lawsuits have been filed in Texas 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:
- Failed to test Bair Hugger FAW adequately
- Did not warn of the dangers associated with the use of the blankets, and continued to sell their product without cautions for the safe use of the Bair Hugger FAW
- Manufactured, distributed, marketed and advertised the Bair Hugger blankets after they knew or should have known of the hazards of using the devices
- Did not use a safer, alternative design for the warming blankets
- Misrepresented the safety of the Bair Hugger FAW process
Affected patients are seeking the assistance of a Texas 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 Texas Bair Hugger lawsuit attorney to learn more about their rights and remedies.
Contact Us For More Information
For more information, contact Attorney Group for Texas 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.
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