Washington, D.C. Defective Medical Device Lawyers
Championing the rights of medical malpractice victims in the Nation’s Capital
Paulson & Nace, PLLC, is a premier medical malpractice law firm whose work in product liability has been widely recognized by peers and the judiciary throughout Washington, D.C. Our aggressive advocacy on behalf of clients has helped us obtain millions of dollars in compensation for our clients who have suffered devastating injuries caused by defective or faulty medical devices. As a family law firm, we understand what effects these injuries can have on your family; that is why we protect your rights from start to finish and offer comprehensive representation that puts your best interests first.
The most common defective medical devices used in Washington, D.C.
Like dangerous drugs, defective medical devices are tools and products that should help you recover from or prevent a serious injury, but instead they can end up causing more damage and life-long complications. Paulson & Nace handles all levels of defective product litigation, including cases against the manufacturers and users of:
- Allergan breast implants
- Biomet hip replacements
- DePuy hip and knee replacements
- Stryker hip replacements
- Zimmer hip and knee replacements
- INFUSE bone graphs
- Medtronic insulin pumps
- Mirena IUDs
- Transvaginal mesh
- Bladder slings
- Pacemakers
- IVC filters
- NuvaRing birth control
- Essure birth control
- Power morcellators
Why are medical devices classified as “defective”?
Medical devices may be classified as defective for several of reasons:
- Devices contain a design flaw running all the way back to the drafting and engineering levels when an idea jumped off the paper and became a successful prototype.
- A point in the manufacturing process failed and the end result was creating devices that contained a defect that quality control failed to catch before shipping them to doctors and medical facilities.
- The medical devices became damaged during the packaging and shipping process but were still delivered and subsequently used in surgical procedures.
- Usage instructions and safety warnings either weren’t provided with the device or were unclear.
- There are safety concerns regarding cybersecurity and data breaches.
The medical product liability attorneys at Paulson & Nace, PLLC understand the pain and hopelessness you have felt since having a surgery meant to put your life back on track but instead, derailed it thanks to a dangerous medical device. Your family knows that you deserve answers and we do everything in our power to get them for you while securing the future for you and your family.
Why can these defective medical devices cause harm to D.C. Patients?
It is important to note that just because one patient has a negative reaction to a medical device, it does not necessarily mean the device is defective. However, sometimes it only takes one person to have the courage to open the floodgate making it possible for other victims to come forward. When a group of people make themselves heard, it gives the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) more standing to issue a recall of the medical device. Multiple complaints indicates to them that these products were likely defective in their design or in their use making them a health hazard.
These faulty devices may cause you injury because:
- Products that are similar to other products produced by the same company do not need to go through testing again, thus Stryker’s defective line of hip and knee replacements avoided testing because its other lines worked well.
- Products that are used for one medical issue may not need to be tested for different applications, which is why the mesh used for hernias was never tested for its use in fixing prolapsed uteruses.
- Certain devices were successful in their intended use, but resulted in surgical errors when they caused unexpected and catastrophic side effects. One example is power morcellators, which break up fibroids well, but have been known to spread cancerous cells in the process.
At Paulson & Nace, we know what it takes to build a winning case for those who have been injured by a defective medical device. We stand up to the insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies who put their profits before your health and future, and are willing to take these companies to trial when it is in your best interest. That is why we have successfully secured millions of dollars for our clients over the past 40 years: We fight hard because we fight for what is right.
How a defective medical device can affect your health
You chose to help heal yourself by choosing to incorporate a medical device into your life. In some instances it’s not really a decision because without the device you could easily die. In other cases, it may mean the difference between enjoying your days ahead or living with discomfort and inconvenience. Regardless of how easy or tough your decision is, once you have made it, you expect to recover and the resulting outcome to be a more normal life.
Depending upon the device that turns out to be deficient, you could face:
- Serious infection
- Heart attack
- Stroke
- Mobility issues
- Allergic reaction
- Blood clots
- Disability
- Chronic pain and fatigue
- Organ damage
- Internal bleeding
- Corrective surgery
- Depression
Any number of these complications has the ability to cause unnecessary suffering and interference with your life, or even a patient’s wrongful death. Our attorneys will not allow you or your family to remain a victim while the insurance companies treat you like a number and the device manufacturer tries to avoid liability for their mistake.
Our team of caring D.C. personal injury attorneys will review your medical records and begin investigating the device that injured you. In addition, we may consult expert witnesses with knowledge of the standards, testing and performance of the medical product in question to help bolster your claim. If we can’t reach a fair settlement, we know the best way to approach a case at trial is to lay your case out just the way the jury wants to see it in order to help them understand why you should win.
When a defective medical device ruins your life, we can help you get it back
Paulson & Nace, PLLC, is a premier defective medical device manufacturer injury law firm that is privileged to claim more than 40 years of serving our community by helping victims across the greater Washington, D.C. area. If you or a loved one has suffered an injury due to a defective medical device please contact Paulson & Nace, PLLC to schedule your free case evaluation by calling 202.463.1999 or we invite you to reach out to us through our contact form.