Defibrillator Recall Attorneys

WARNING: Guidant defibrillators implanted in nearly 50,000 patients have been recalled due to device malfunctions that have resulted in at least one fatality.

A defibrillator is a small medical device that is implanted in a person's chest, and releases electricity to shock the heart in an effort to stabilize the heartbeat during incidents where a person has an irregular heartbeat, such as a ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation.

The Indianapolis based company, Guidant Corporation, maker of various medical devices, has been in the news recently for its blatant disregard of health of the users of their products. The company knew for three years that its Prizm 2D defibrillator had an electrical flaw before informing the public about this dangerous defect. Guidant Corp. states that the defective defibrillators were made before the end of 2002, and claims to have fixed the flaw in the defibrillator three years ago when they changed their manufacturing procedure.

The important safety information that the company withheld from both patients and doctors regarding the defibrillator implant could have saved the life of a young man from Minnesota who died when his defibrillator short circuited in March of 2005. In addition to the death of the young man, there have been twenty five reports of device failure. Approximately 38,000 patients in the U.S. who have been implanted with the faulty device may be at risk for serious and possibly fatal medical problems.

The cardiac defibrillator models affected by this recall include:

• Prizm 2 DR
• Contak Renewal and Contak Renewal 2
• Ventak Prizm AVT
• Vitality AVT
• Renewal 3 AVT and Renewal 4 AVT ICDs

If you have been implanted with a Guidant Ventak Prizm 2 Model 1861 defibrillator, you should talk to your physician about any concerns that you may have. If have suffered as the result of a defect, malfunction, or other device error, you should seek aggressive legal representation immediately. It is important that you gather all of your medical records in regards to your defibrillator, as they may help in the making of a strong case against the manufacturer. With the representation of an accomplished defective medical device attorney at Bisnar & Chase, you may be able to recover the maximum monetary compensation for problems caused by your faulty defibrillator.

The attorneys at Bisnar & Chase, LLP have been protecting the rights of seriously injured clients since 1978, and have experience in many areas of law including personal injury, wrongful death, and defective products. We have the skill and resources to file claims against large corporations whose negligence has caused innocent people to suffer serious injuries as the result of their defective or dangerous products. If you or a loved one has suffered as the result of a defective defibrillator, please contact Bisnar & Chase today for a free consultation.

Guidant VENTAK PRIZM 2 DR and CONTAK RENEWAL Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators

UPDATE: December 29, 2005, FDA MEDWATCH

FDA issued an update to the July and October, 2005, Preliminary Public Health Notification. The updated PPHN provides numbers of deaths and serious injuries for the three devices as of December 12, 2005. FDA's recommendations have not changed.

Read the full report.

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