Boston Scientific Corporation, the Massachusetts based medical device company that acquired Guidant Corporation in April 2006, said that it would now pay as much as $240 million into a settlement fund set up to address faulty defibrillators that were recalled by Guidant in 2005 and 2006. The company had set aside $195 million for settlements comprised of about 8,500 claims before the announcement of the $45 million increase in mid November 2007.

Additional funds set aside

In a regulatory filing in late March 2007, Boston Scientific earmarked a whopping $732 million to cover expenses in these cases and according to recent headlines, the company has also set aside an additional $16.75 million to settle separate investigations brought by Attorney Generals in 35 states and the District of Columbia.

Similar to the recent recall of Medtronic’s Sprint Fidelis defibrillator lead wires, Guidant Corporation was criticized for not acting quickly enough in pulling their product from the market. Many patients with Guidant defibrillators are seeking compensation for medical monitoring and increased anxiety over what might happen – the consequences of which are very serious.

Dire consequences

Defibrillators are small devices that are implanted into a patient’s chest and monitor their heart rhythm through a lead wire that is attached to the device at one end and to the heart on the other. If the device detects an abnormal heart rhythm, via the lead wire, it will send an electrical shock to the heart to return it to its normal rhythm.

Unlike other product recalls where consumers can simply return the product and get a refund, ‘returning’ a defibrillator or a defibrillator wire is a bit more complicated. In fact, it’s a lot more complicated as both are implanted into the patient’s chest and require risky surgery to replace. Should the device or the wire not work properly, the patient could become seriously injured or die – which is why so many patients are requesting long term medical monitoring.

Help is available

If you or a loved one has been injured by a faulty defibrillator or defibrillator wire, help is available. To contact an experienced attorney whose practice focuses in this area of law, please click here. The consultation is free and without obligation.