Baltimore Defective Medical Device Lawyers

Attorneys for Injuries Caused by Defective Medical Products in Baltimore, MD

Medical devices are designed to improve outcomes for patients who receive care at hospitals or other medical facilities. When they function correctly, they can address serious medical issues and sometimes even save lives. However, when they are defective, they can do the opposite. Defective equipment may cause serious injuries, worsen existing conditions, or even cause the wrongful death of patients.

When a defective medical device or dangerous drug has led to injuries affecting you or a member of your family, the attorneys at Silverman Thompson can help you take steps to secure compensation for the damages you have suffered. These cases can be complex, and they require a thorough understanding of issues related to product liability and medical malpractice. Our legal team can take on that challenge, and we have the experience needed to achieve success in these cases.

Why Medical Products May Be Defective

Medical products can be defective in several distinct ways. A design defect may exist because a product is inherently unsafe as it was designed. In these cases, every unit manufactured while following a design will have the same flaw. A manufacturing defect may occur when a specific product or batch of products is not constructed correctly. Patients may also be at risk of harm if a manufacturer does not take the correct steps to inform healthcare providers or patients about the risks associated with a product.

Types of Defective Medical Devices and Products

There is a wide range of medical products that can be defective and cause harm to patients. They may include:

Implanted Devices

Devices that are surgically implanted in a patient's body can put people at risk of injury when they fail. Additional surgeries may be required to remove equipment, but the damage caused by a failing implant can progress before the problem is detected. Defective implants may include:

• Replacement Joints: Hip, knee, and shoulder implants can cause injuries due to metal-on-metal corrosion that can release toxic particles into the surrounding tissue or the bloodstream. Patients who have received defective joint replacements may experience issues like chronic pain, bone and tissue damage, and the significant risks of additional surgical procedures.
• Pacemakers: Implantable defibrillators that regulate heart rhythm in patients with cardiac conditions may fail due to software malfunctions, battery failure, or defects in these devices. When they fail, they may not deliver electrical impulses as needed, or they may deliver inappropriate shocks. These issues can be life-threatening.
• Spinal Cord Stimulators: These implanted devices are used to manage chronic pain by delivering electrical impulses to the spinal cord. Defective leads, programming failures, or other malfunctions may cause patients to experience electrical shocks, worsened pain, or neurological complications.
• Insulin Pumps: These devices are used by diabetic patients to provide continuous insulin. They are critical life-management tools, and their failure can cause dangerous blood sugar fluctuations. Software errors or mechanical failures may cause patients to receive incorrect insulin doses, and this can lead to life-threatening consequences.
• Hernia Mesh Products: Defective mesh designs have caused patients to experience chronic pain, organ perforation, and serious infections.

Surgical Tools and Hospital Equipment

Defective surgical instruments and hospital equipment can cause harm during medical procedures. Surgical tools may break during procedures or sterilization equipment may fail to properly decontaminate instruments. If monitoring equipment provides inaccurate readings, this may prevent providers from recognizing serious issues that can affect the health of patients.

Robotic surgical systems are being used in a growing range of procedures, but in some cases, these devices have malfunctioned during surgery. They may make unintended movements or cause electrical shocks. Parts may fail at critical moments, leading to serious injuries for patients.

Infusion pumps used to deliver medications, fluids, and nutrients to patients have been recalled due to software errors and mechanical failures that have caused incorrect dosing. Ventilators, heart monitor systems, and other life-support equipment may malfunction and cause patients to suffer serious harm. Our lawyers will take steps to understand how these devices failed and who was responsible so that patients will be fully compensated for their injuries.

Defective Medications and Pharmaceutical Products

Dangerous drugs can put people at risk in multiple ways. Pharmaceutical companies have a legal duty to design safe medications, to manufacture them without contamination or formulation errors, and to provide healthcare providers and patients with information about known risks and side effects.

Medications that have been found to be defective or dangerous include certain types of blood thinners, diabetes medications, and hormone therapies. When these drugs are made available without proper testing or without disclosing known risks, thousands of patients may suffer harm. Our attorneys can help patients take steps to hold manufacturers or other parties responsible for injuries caused by drugs that were unreasonably dangerous.

Contact Our Baltimore, Maryland Defective Medical Device Attorneys

A defective medical product can cause serious harm while preventing a person from receiving the treatment they need to address medical conditions. When someone has been harmed by a defective medical device, surgical tool, hospital equipment, or medication, the team at Silverman Thompson can provide the representation needed to ensure that injury victims will be able to address the damages they have suffered.

Our medical malpractice team includes attorneys Andrew G. Slutkin and Ethan S. Nochumowitz. We have helped injured patients achieve successful results in cases involving medical negligence, and we can do the same for you. Contact our Baltimore defective medical product lawyers at 410-385-2225 to set up your free consultation.