Guidant Defibrillators
Guidant (now a part of Boston Scientific) implantable defibrillators are used to treat patients with irregular heartbeats. Similar to a pacemaker, the battery operated device is surgically implanted beneath the skin and emits electrical signals that jolt the heart back to its normal rhythm if an abnormal rhythm is detected. In June of 2005, Guidant recalled more than 50,000 of its implantable defibrillators because of potential malfunctions. Shortly before the recall, Guidant had issued a safety advisory to doctors after it learned that the New York Times was to report that Guidant knew and kept quiet about the defects for three years while continuing to sell the devices. In addition, on September 22, 2005, Guidant issued a recall on its Nexus and Insignia pacemakers, warning that the devices could fail to work properly due to a defect. Guidant noted that as of September 6, 2005, 36 out of 49,500 devices experience one type of pacing failure, while 16 out of 341,000 devices suffered a second type of failure. Since 2005, additional "product advisories" have been issued with regard to malfunction and damage to the device due to how it is placed in the body.
Alley, Clark & Greiwe has successfully represented clients who were harmed by defective Guidant pacemakers and defibrillators. If you or a loved one have received a Guidant implantable defibrillator, please contact our office for more information about your legal rights.
Helpful Links:
- Click here to review Guidant Heart Device Litigation Settlement
- Click here to use Guidant Device Lookup Tool
