LitPRO
An inferior vena cava (IVC) filter is a small, metallic, spider-like device that is implanted in a person’s inferior vena cava to prevent blood clots from migrating from the lower body to the heart. The inferior vena cava is a large vein that returns deoxygenated blood from the lower extremities and abdominal organs to the heart.
Tens of thousands of IVC filter recipients have sued a number of filter manufacturers, alleging that the devices are defective and caused severe injury after they broke apart, punctured the IVC, or migrated to other parts of the body. Many claimants further allege that filter makers failed to warn them about potential risks associated with the devices.
Thousands of suits against one IVC filter maker–Cook Medical–have been combined into a multidistrict litigation (MDL), which is still active before the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana. Other MDLs also exist and remain open. Thousands of other suits are pending against other manufacturers, while thousands more have been settled.
Most IVC filter recipients are 65 years old, plus or minus 15 years. Elderly claimants most likely face governmental payer liens such as Medicare and Medicaid, whereas younger claimants are more likely to have private lien obligations.