Reuters is reporting that the health industry is concerned that external defibrillators, usually found in emergency rooms or airports, have been the subject of 68 recalls because of defects over the last five years. The automated external defibrillators (AEDs) can potentially save the life of someone in cardiac arrest if the paddles are used within minutes of the patient’s collapse. The shock causes an arrested heart to resume back to its normal beat. Thousands of reports of malfunctions in devices from a range of manufacturers have come to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), sometimes even malfunctioning during an emergency procedure.
In a statement, the FDA says it wants to help industry improve safety and resolve problems quickly. The review is part of the larger problem of faulty medical devices that present safety risks due to design and manufacturing shortfalls. With about 200,000 AEDs sold every year, many have been found deficient in design and manufacturing. Many people are also dissatisfied with how the company handles consumer complaints and recalls.
A multi-city AED registry will become one way to track the outcomes of the one million AEDs in use around the country.
Defective Product Claim
A Florida product liability lawsuit can name the designer of the device, the manufacturer, the pharmacy, the distributor, and retailer. Additionally, your treating physicians can be sued for Florida medical malpractice if a defective medical device caused your injury.
At Farah & Farah, our Jacksonville product liability lawyers can help a victim of a defective medical device or product seek compensation for lost wages due to the illness that resulted from the device, and time out of work, both past and future. The emotional trauma of pain and suffering can also be compensated, and a jury can opt to award punitive damages to punish the device manufacturer or designer for maliciously or intentionally putting a dangerous device into the marketplace.
