Get a Cash Advance on Your Bair Hugger Blanket Settlement
If you went into the hospital for hip or knee replacement surgery, but came out with a serious prosthetic joint infection, you might be feeling worse than you did before you had the procedure. You may suspect the Bair Hugger blanket is to blame for your condition, but even if you’ve already filed a lawsuit against the manufacturer, it will probably take months or even years until the matter is resolved.
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Plaintiffs claim blanket caused infections
Over 50 patients who underwent orthopedic surgery have filed lawsuits against 3M Co. — the manufacturer of Bair Hugger forced-air warming blankets — claiming the single use blanket caused them to develop prosthetic joint infections. While hospitals have taken measures to prevent patients from developing PJIs, there have been no changes in Forced Air Warming technology, which has been linked to the contamination of sterile areas, which researchers have found can cause serious injections.
3M Co. sells a variety of Bair Hugger blankets that range in price from $6 to $24. This surgical blanket consists of rows of inflatable tubes that are filled with hot air and is presumed to produce better surgical outcomes by stopping the body from losing heat and lowering the risk of developing hypothermia from anesthesia. The company purchased Arizant, the maker of Bair Hugger, for approximately $800 million in 2010.
“3M will vigorously defend the product and the science against these unwarranted lawsuits,” company spokeswoman Donna Fleming Runyon said in a statement to the StarTribune. “We think it’s unfortunate that the plaintiffs’ attorneys are using bad science to blame their clients’ infections on a device that has helped so many people.”
Bair Hugger inventor to testify against 3M Co.
The blanket was created by Dr. Scott Augustine in the 1980s and has been used in more than 200 million surgeries. In fact, it is currently used at 80% U.S. hospitals on more than 50,000 patients per day. 3M Co. has denied all allegations, claiming a study has not been conducted that gives them any merit. The company says more than 60 randomized clinical trials have been conducted since product debuted in 1987 that support its safety.
Augustine will likely testify on behalf of the plaintiffs, saying Bair Hugger blankets do pose a risk for infection — especially in patients undergoing joint-surgery. According to the man who invented the product, Arizant is well aware the blanket can disrupt sterile air flow throughout the operating room. Dr. Augustine claims that waste heat emitted by the warming unit amasses underneath the operating table, resulting in convection currents that can rouse toxins on the floor, causing them to become entrenched in a hip or knee implant.
More information about lawsuit funding
If you have a pending case regarding Bair Huggar blanket injuries and would like more information about our lawsuit advance funding options, please call LawStreet capital today at 1-866-FUND-622.