The Bair Hugger warming blanket is essentially a disposable, hollow blanket with small holes in it. The system includes a heater and fan, which forces hot air into the blanket through a tube. The blanket helps to regulate the body temperature of surgical patients. Studies have shown that the Bair Hugger warming blanket can lead to an increased risk of serious infection, including sepsis and MRSA, particularly in patients receiving hip or knee implants. Claims against the makers of Bair Hugger warming blankets have been the subject of ongoing litigations.
Are you impacted by the Bair Hugger lawsuits? You may be entitled to compensation.
If you or a loved one has used a Bair Hugger-type warming blanket and believe you have suffered an injury, it is strongly recommended you speak with your physician. Injuries from warming blanket use can include serious infection, including sepsis and MRSA. If you or a loved one has been treated with a Bair Hugger warming blanket and believe you have suffered an injury, it is strongly recommended that you seek counsel experienced in the Bair Hugger claims and injuries.
Stark & Stark attorneys are actively seeking Bair Hugger settlements and filing Bair Hugger lawsuits for those injured or killed from the potentially defective device.
What is the Bair Hugger Warming Blanket, and are there Bair Hugger Lawsuits?
The Bair Hugger forced air warming blanket was approved by the United States Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in 1998 and originally marketed by Arizant Healthcare Inc. Arizant Healthcare Inc. was acquired by 3M Company in 2010, which continued to manufacture and distribute the product. The Bair Hugger warming blanket was primarily used to avoid hypothermia in orthopedic surgery patients. Since its inception, the Bair Hugger warming blanket and similar forced air warming systems have been used in millions of surgeries. However, pending litigation alleges that “scientific studies have shown that as the warmed air rises against the downward airflow in the operating room, it deposits bacteria from the non-sterile portions of the operating theater to the surgical site.” There are also claims that “scientific studies have also shown that the inadequate air filtration system of the Bair Hugger allows pathogenic-carrying cells, including but not limited to isolates of S aureus, coagulase-negative staphylococci (“CoNS”), and methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (“MRSA”), to penetrate the intake filter of the device and colonize inside the device.”
This has allegedly lead to serious, and sometimes limb or life threatening, deep-joint infections, sepsis, MRSA and severe complications with hip and knee replacement systems. In response, the inventor of the Bair Hugger warming blanket, Dr. Scott Augustine, has suggested that the dangers of infection posed by the device in certain circumstances, should lead to discontinuing the use of the Bair Hugger warming blanket, in favor of different, newer technologies.
In response to these claims, lawsuits have been filed against the makers of the Bair Hugger warming blanket. These claims have been consolidated into a Multi-District Litigation (MDL), which centralizes pretrial activities for multiple cases to save time, court costs, and attorney’s fees. The cases are pending before the Honorable Joan N. Ericksen, in the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota. The allegations in the Bair Hugger MDL include claims that the Bair Hugger manufacturers knew of the defect in their product, and resulting danger to the public, but failed to properly warn patients or their doctors.
Contact a Bair Hugger Lawyer to Assess Your Claim
The Bair Hugger attorneys at Stark & Stark are actively pursuing Bair Hugger lawsuits and settlements against manufacturers on behalf of patients injured or killed from use of these potentially harmful devices.
Stark & Stark is committed to holding drug and medical device manufacturers liable when their products improperly endanger the public. Our Bair Hugger lawyers are experienced in mass torts MDL litigation cases and in negotiating with medical device and pharmaceutical settlement representatives.
If you or a member of your family has suffered an injury from Bair Hugger use, you may be entitled to compensation under the MDL litigation process or via settlement.
Please contact Stark & Stark to speak with one of the Bair Hugger attorneys, free of charge, who can help assess any claims that you may have and to help you understand the settlement and lawsuit process.
