The Bair Hugger, a forced-air patient warming/temperature monitoring system, is considered to be an innovative way of keeping a patient warm while being operated on. However, the Bair Hugger has been involved in recent lawsuits due to causing infections in patients when used during orthopedic surgeries such as implant surgeries.
At Van Law Firm, we can help get you fight for compensation if you or someone you know has been seriously injured after the use of a Bair Hugger device.
What Is a Bair Hugger?
A Bair Hugger is a medical device used to keep a patient’s body temperature warm during orthopedic surgery and to reduce their risk of catching an infection. This warm air is being pushed through a hose under a blanket while a patient is in surgery.
The goal of this device is to prevent a patient’s blood pressure from dipping while under anesthesia during the operation. Bair Hugger claims the benefits of reducing bleeding during surgery and increasing the recovery rate for the patient.
Operations the Bair Hugger Is Used For
Most patients are not aware that a Bair Hugger device is being used on them during their procedure, but more likely than not it has been, as it is a surgical standard. The Bair Hugger is used in about 4 out of every 5 hospitals and in about 80% of implant surgeries. Implant surgeries can include knee and hip replacements.
Injuries Associated with Bair Huggers
The types of injuries that have been seen with the use of the Bair Hugger device stem from infections picked up during operations. A Bair Hugger can cause an infection due to possibly picking up bacteria-contaminated air which will be circulated directly into the surgical site. An infection could lead to the patient experiencing the following:
- Pain
- Swelling
- Fever
- The need for amputation, further hospitalization, or implant revision surgery
- Permanent disability
- Death
These injuries range in severity with the different treatment plans needed to help reduce a patient’s pain. The longer a patient has the infection in their system, the more severe the injuries will become if left untreated. Treatments may be needed for these injuries because an infection may not clear up on its own.
Treatments You Can Receive After a Bair Hugger Injury
An infection, like MRSA and/or sepsis, could spread in a patient and further progress the patient’s pain and suffering, leading to more severe treatment plans. For pain, swelling, and/or a fever, for instance, treatment might involve the patient taking Tylenol or staying at the hospital to ensure the patient’s symptoms subside. It may be possible to fight infection through the use of antibiotics.
If a more severe infection has been left untreated in the patient, they will have to seek a physician for a possible amputation or implant revision surgery. An infection in one area can spread to another area rather quickly. An infection, especially after replacement surgery, can be deadly and needs to be dealt with immediately to prevent the worst-case scenario.
What Type of Lawsuit Can You File for a Bair Hugger Injury?
A personal injury lawsuit can arise from these types of injuries, and at Van Law Firm we are equipped with the best attorneys in Nevada to help you. Our attorneys will establish the following for a negligence lawsuit against the manufacturer:
- They failed to properly and thoroughly test the Bair Hugger before putting it on the market.
- They failed to properly analyze the data from the pre-market testing.
- They failed to conduct post-market testing and surveillance of how the Bair Hugger was operating while on the market.
Product Liability Lawsuits
A product liability lawsuit involves proving a defendant is liable for a plaintiff’s injuries because the product was defective. Proving a product defective is typically enough for a successful product liability lawsuit. One of our product liability lawyers will have the burden to prove that:
- The Bair Hugger at issue was defective and unreasonably dangerous; and
- This defect was the proximate cause of the patient’s injuries.
The Statute of Limitations in Multidistrict Litigations
A multidistrict litigation makes the litigation process more convenient for all parties by joining similar complaints to form one large lawsuit. There are currently 5,000 cases against 3M Bair Hugger that have been put into multidistrict litigation.
Our mass tort lawyers can research whether your statute of limitations has expired. If it has, then it will be impossible to file the case.
Damages You Can Seek in a Bair Hugger Case
The damages involved in multidistrict litigation can range in amounts received, and the damages awarded will likely be either compensatory or punitive. Compensatory damages are to compensate a patient for any out-of-pocket losses they have suffered, whereas punitive damages are intended to punish and deter the liable party from making the same mistake again.
The worse the patient’s injury, the higher the damages our attorneys can seek because the amount sought is based on severity and suffering. There is a current case involving Bair Huggers that is asking for $1 million in damages.
Contact an Attorney if You Need Help with a Bair Hugger Case
If you or someone you know has suffered an injury due to the use of a Bair Hugger device during orthopedic surgery, please contact us at Van Law Firm for a free consultation. We will work with you to help you fight for the compensation you need.
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