Spinal Cord Stimulator Lawsuits In Buffalo, New York

Jed Dietrich, Esq., Is a Recognized Super Lawyer Committed to Protecting the Rights of Spinal Cord Stimulator Injury Victims Across the Buffalo-Niagara Falls Region. If You or a Loved One Has Been Hurt by a Defective Spinal Cord Stimulator, The Dietrich Law Firm P.C. Could Help You Explore Your Best Options for Effective Legal Relief.

Spinal cord stimulators are often advertised as a safe, effective way to relieve pain.

Over the course of the past several years, however, the federal Food and Drug Administration has traced tens of thousands of injuries back to the devices. Reported complications vary in their severity, but they have previously included instances of lead migration, returning pain, bacterial infection, and irreversible internal organ damage.

You do not have to accept a medical-device company’s excuses in place of fair compensation.

A recognized U.S. News & World Report Best Law Firm, the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. has spent decades helping Buffalonians assert their rights to recovery. If you think you could have a claim, call us today at 1-716-839-3939 to speak to an SCS injury lawyer and find out how much your case could be worth.

Pain is a physical feeling, and it is triggered by electrical currents that start in your nerves and travel up the spinal column. Once they reach the brain, it translates these currents into feelings of pain.

Spinal cord stimulators work by emitting an alternate and controllable electrical current. This current can, in effect, overwhelm and block out your body’s natural pain signals. Stimulators do not remove or even treat the root causes of chronic pain, but they can make it much, much more manageable.

Most doctors only recommend spinal cord stimulators if other treatment methods, like pain medication and physical therapy, have failed to relieve your symptoms. Stimulators are also sometimes recommended if taking certain drugs, especially opioids, would pose an unusual or unacceptable risk to your health and well-being.

Spinal cord stimulators must be surgically inserted, and all surgeries carry a certain risk.

Some of the most common complications associated with stimulators include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Post-surgical infections;
2. A feeling of tingling or numbness when actively using the stimulator;
3. Stimulator leads that move out of place, break, or administer inconsistent currents;
4. Feelings of intense pain returning once your body has adapted to the stimulator;
5. Severe and potentially disabling injuries caused by broken leads or, in some cases, the surgical procedure itself;
6. Generator failures and malfunctions.

Over the course of the past several years, many patients have experienced other problems related to defective and improperly installed devices. These include instances of internal electrocution, the internal migration (or movement) of wires inside the body, and wide-ranging, potentially irreversible internal organ damage. Some patients have even reported neurological issues, like recurring “brain fog,” sexual dysfunction, and difficulty seeing and speaking.

Spinal cord stimulators are complex devices that can only work under ideal conditions.

If any part of the SCS system breaks down the leads, the generator, or its internal software the device may stop working without warning. A series of recent lawsuits have identified other potential issues, too. These include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Sudden design changes. Manufacturers have introduced newer versions of older stimulator systems with updated software, better batteries, and revamped components. However, there is limited evidence to suggest that these enhancements improve the function or lifespan of spinal cord stimulators. In fact, the introduction of new and less rigorously tested features could pose a significant danger to patients.
2. Battery issues. Spinal cord stimulators are only effective when they emit a consistent and controllable current. Old or poor-quality batteries and charging problems can interfere with stimulation and prevent devices from working as advertised.
3. Limitations on re-programmability. Problematic spinal cord stimulators must be reprogrammed, but reprogramming does not always fix the underlying problem.

A failed device does not always trigger any noticeable symptoms, but continued use of a defective stimulator can cause serious internal injuries, up to and including death.

Spinal cord manufacturers named in recent lawsuits include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Abbott (formerly St. Jude Medical). Allegedly defective models include the Proclaim, Prodigy, Eterna, BurstDR, Genesis, and Eon.
2. Boston Scientific. Allegedly defective models include the Spectra, Precision, Montage, Novi, and WaveWriter systems.
3. Medtronic. Allegedly defective models include Intellis, Vanta, and Inceptiv.
4. Nevro (Globus Medical). Allegedly defective models include Senza, HFX, and Omnia.

Despite being marketed as safe, federal data shows that, over the course of about 15 years, spinal cord stimulators were implicated in no fewer than 180,000 adverse event reports, resulting in over 118,000 documented and suspected injuries.

Medical device manufacturers are held to a high standard and could be found liable for an injury if:

1. The SCS was in some way defective;
2. The manufacturer or retailer failed to report adverse events, such as side effects and injuries;
3. The manufacturer failed to warn doctors or patients about known risks;
4. The manufacturer failed to update warning labels and patient disclosures;
5. The manufacturer continued to sell a model of spinal cord stimulator that it had reason to believe posed an unusual danger to patients.

You could be entitled to file a spinal cord stimulator lawsuit if you have experienced any of the following complications:

1. A failure that resulted in the complete removal of the spinal cord stimulator;
2. Permanent nerve damage caused by a defective device;
3. Permanent neurological damage caused by a defective device;
4. Pain that has grown worse after the implant;
5. Device failures that involve migrating leads or components;
6. Device failures that relate to faulty charging and power-delivery systems;
7. Long-term disability or a decreased quality of life caused by the defective SCS;
8. The death of a loved one potentially caused, in part or in whole, by an implanted stimulator system.

New York does not cap damages in most product liability claims, but you cannot afford to wait too long to take action. If you delay, the statute of limitations applicable to your claim could expire. Once this happens, your claim will almost certainly be dismissed, potentially preventing you from taking any further, future legal action.

Do not take chances with your rights: call Jed Dietrich, Esq., today at 1-716-839-3939 to speak to a spinal cord stimulator injury lawyer in Buffalo and schedule your 100% free, no-obligation consultation as soon as possible.

Call the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. immediately at 1-716-839-3939 so that our aggressive, tenacious, and hardworking personal injury lawyers can fight to obtain the best result for your personal injury claim in Buffalo, New York. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and there is never a fee until we WIN for you!