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Ancure Endograft Class Action and Lawsuits |
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| On June 12, 2003, federal
prosecutors charged Endovascular Technologies with
10 felony counts, including false statements to
the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in connection
with the Ancure device. |
| The Ancure device is used
to treat an abdominal aortic aneurysm, a weak spot
in the wall of the large artery that carries blood
from the heart to branch arteries throughout the
body. The device consists of a delivery system
and an implant. In a minimally invasive operation,
a surgeon makes a small incision in the patient's
groin, inserts a tube (catheter) through the artery,
and implants a graft into the aorta in the abdomen.
The graft stays in the body permanently, but the
delivery catheter is removed. |
| The Ancure endograft
device was made by EndoVascular Technologies
(EVT) of Menlo Park, California, a subsidiary
of Indianapolis-based Guidant Corporation. |
| Lieff Cabraser attorneys
represent Ancure patients in personal injury
lawsuits. Federal prosecutors alleged that
the Ancure device often malfunctioned and Guidant
asked doctors to use it in ways not approved
by the government. |
| For example, when a surgeon
could not remove part of a medical device stuck
in a patient with a serious heart condition,
Guidant's sales representative recommended
breaking the product's handle -- a procedure
that was not approved by the FDA. |
| EVT was charged with
two counts of failing to report as many as
2,600 malfunctions of the device, thus preventing
the public and physicians from learning about "recurring
malfunctions and other risks." |
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| Lieff
Cabraser represents persons across
America injured by defective Guidant
and Ancure heart devices. Our firm
was one of the first law firms in
the U.S. to file a Guidant defibrillator
recall lawsuit. |
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| EVT was also accused of
failing to report that other, more invasive operations
were required after the device failed. The same
day the complaint was filed, EVT plead guilty to
the charges and eventually paid more than $92 million
in fines. |
| EVT informed the FDA during
a 19-month period from September 1999, when the
FDA approved the device, until March 2001, when
the company withdrew it from the market, of 172
malfunctions of the device and injuries to patients
during surgery to insert it. In March 2001, EVT
admitted that it had failed to submit an additional
2,628 incidents out of a total of 7,632 medical
devices sold. Among the unreported incidents were
12 deaths and 57 emergency operations performed
when the device's delivery system became stuck
in the patient's body. |
| After withdrawing the Ancure
device from the market in March 2001, Guidant and
EVT reintroduced the device in August 2001 with
FDA-approved modifications in the device's warnings
to customers and instructions to doctors. On June
16, 2003, Guidant announced that it would stop
making the Ancure Endograft System. |
| 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.
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Our Guidant defect
lawyers have years of experience successfully
representing patients with faulty or
defective medical implants. |
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There is no charge
or obligation
for our review of your case. |
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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. |
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To assist our clients
with their claims, we have on staff nurses
with cardiac training and have retained
physicians to provide expert advice. |
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| 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
four 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. |
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Additional
Lieff Cabraser Information: 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.
Disclaimer:
The hiring of legal professionals is an important
decision that should not be based on advertising
alone. Please read our disclaimer.
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. |
| Copyright © 2007 Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein,
LLP |
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