If you or someone you know has endured an infection related to the Bair Hugger surgical warming system, it’s not too late to take action. Lawsuits are heating up around the country as more injury cases are linked to this widely used “blanket” device for keeping the body adequately warm, especially during orthopedic surgeries such as knee and hip replacements.
The Bair Hugger is a forced-air warming device manufactured by 3M Co. It was designed to maintain a patient’s ideal body temperature, which is important for healing and reducing the chance for post-surgical infection. Four out of five hospitals nationwide have adopted the Bair Hugger, and the manufacturer states that the device has been used more than 200 million times since coming online in 1987.
At first glance, the Bair Hugger appears to be a beneficial medical aid. So what’s the problem? Plaintiff’s lawyers working on behalf of hundreds of victims explain the issue this way: As the Bair Hugger system blows air beneath the surgical table, containments like germs and bacteria can circulate and land on patients’ open wounds, leading to serious infections. Many incidents are being tied to entirely preventable deep joint infections.
Multiplying Bair Hugger medical device cases across the country are now being combined before a federal judge in Minnesota, where evidence-gathering is underway. Claims suggest that 3M, which acquired the maker of the Bair Hugger device in 2010, has done nothing to warn people about the device or change its potentially dangerous design, despite mounting claims.
The charges are serious. However, 3M has steadfastly denied that any science exists to back up claims of injuries linked to the Bair Hugger, even though more credible cases are coming to all the time.
So what do you do if you think the Bair Hugger may have been related to a post-surgical infection that you or a loved one suffered? You may not even know whether this device was used during your surgery, but if you suffered a deep infection following a hip or knee replacement you should speak with a lawyer. Don’t try to take this complex legal issue into your own hands. Get a lawyer in your corner today so you can rest easy tomorrow.
Whitley Law Firm has highly experienced dangerous medical device attorneys on staff throughout North Carolina. We are actively investigating all Bair Hugger cases and are carefully monitoring legal due diligence processes already underway in Minnesota. Call today with questions.
