Introduction: Guidant Recall

Guidant Corporation, headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, is the second-largest manufacturer of implantable defibrillators and also manufactures pacemakers, cardiac surgery systems, and other medical devices.

Boston Scientific, which bought Guidant in 2006, announced in June 2006 the recall of more defibrillators and pacemakers. The recalled devices include Insignia and Nexus brand pacemakers, Contak Renewal TR/TR2 cardiac resynchronization pacemakers, and Ventak Prizm 2, Vitality, and Vitality 2 cardioverter defibrillators.

QUICK LINKS

	Defibrillator Recall
	Pacemaker Warning
	Ancure Device
	Patient Warning Letters

Read a copy of a June 23, 2006 "Dear Doctor" letter from Guidant to physicians noting additional recalled Guidant heart devices.

Our firm, Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP, is representing Guidant patients across the U.S. in personal injury lawsuits seeking damages for the injuries they suffered due to Guidant's alleged negligence. We filed the first lawsuit in the nation against Guidant for its defective defibrillators, and are representing scores of Guidant patients with faulty heart devices.

Guidant Defibrillator Recall

Implantable defibrillator systems are used to detect and treat abnormally fast heart rhythms that could result in sudden cardiac death.

On June 17, 2005, Guidant announced a recall of nearly 50,000 heart defibrillator medical devices. Guidant expanded the recall on June 24, 2005, when the company announced an additional 46,000 devices were potentially defective. On June 26, 2006, Boston Scientific expanded the recall further.

As of October 2005, Guidant reported it was aware of over 50 reports of device failures, including three cases in which the patients died. Guidant has acknowledged that the actual rate of failure may be higher than the reported rate and that the number of associated deaths may be underreported, since implantable cardio-defibrillators are not routinely evaluated after death. To learn more about the Guidant defibrillator recall, click here.

Guidant Pacemaker Warnings

On September 22, 2005, Guidant issued a recall for some of its Insignia and Nexus implantable pacemakers because of failures, including nine cases requiring emergency hospitalization.

On July 18, 2005, Guidant alerted physicians that replacements might be needed for nine pacemaker models made between 1997 and 2000, of which some 28,000 remain implanted in patients worldwide. To learn more about the Guidant pacemaker recalls, click here.

Guidant Ancure Endograft System Recall

In June 2003, Endo Vascular Technologies (EVT), a subsidiary of Guidant, pleaded guilty to 10 felony counts and agreed to pay $92.4 million in civil and criminal penalties related to its Ancure Endograft system, a stent-graft device inserted by means of a catheter for the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms.

EVT admitted that it had lied to the government and hidden thousands of malfunctions with the Ancure Endograft, including 12 patient deaths. The company stopped selling the system in March 2001, made changes, and reintroduced it to the market in August 2001. To learn more, click here.

	Our Guidant defect lawyers have years of experience successfully representing patients with faulty or defective medical implants.
	There is no charge or obligation for our review of your case.
	We are pleased to visit Guidant patients, or families of loved ones who died, at or near where you live and at no cost, to discuss your legal rights and answer your questions.
	To assist our clients with their claims, we have on staff nurses with cardiac training and have retained physicians to provide expert advice.

Legal Rights of the Injured

The law in most states provides individuals with legal claims and the right to compensation for injuries they suffer as a result of a defective product or the negligence of another. The injured person may file a lawsuit seeking compensation for his or her pain and suffering, medical expenses, lost past and future wages and punitive damages.

Damages sought against manufacturers of an allegedly defective medical device typically include damages for:

Physical pain and suffering, mental anguish and physical impairment;
Medical expenses associated with the allegedly defective product; and
Loss of earnings and/or earning capacity.

About Lieff Cabraser

Founded in 1972, Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP is a 50-plus attorney law firm with offices in San Francisco, New York and Nashville. For each of the last five years, the National Law Journal has recognized Lieff Cabraser as one of the top plaintiffs’ law firms in America.

For our personal injury cases, we bring a team of experienced lawyers. Each client is assigned an individual lawyer. In addition, we have on staff multiple nurses, legal assistants, scientific analysts and case clerks to assist the attorneys. To learn more about our firm, click here.

     About Lieff Cabraser: Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP, with offices in San Francisco, New York and Nashville, is one of the largest law firms in the United States that only represents plaintiffs. We have been nationally recognized for our representation of shareholders in cases alleging violations of federal securities laws by major corporations and their directors and officers.
    Our clients come from across America, including the states of Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia and Wyoming. Learn more about our firm.
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     Trademark Notice : The law firm of Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP, is in no way affiliated with Guidant Corporation or Endovascular Technologies, and any use of trademark information is for reference and informational purposes only.