Spinal Cord Stimulator Lawsuits In New York, New York

Jed Dietrich, Esq., Is a Recognized Super Lawyer Committed to Protecting the Rights of Spinal Cord Stimulator Injury Victims Across New York City. If You or a Loved One Have 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 marketed as a minimally invasive way to treat chronic pain.

For years, manufacturers have posited stimulators as a safe alternative to more intensive and dangerous procedures. They are not perfect or without problems, but some doctors find them preferable to opioids and other prescription pain killers with addictive potential, too.

Stimulators operate on a simple principle. During the initial operation, a surgeon implants a series of wires in your spinal cord, which are then connected to a battery pack on the lower back. The procedure can take as little as 30 minutes. If successful, the patient can then use a remote control to send electrical signals up the spinal column, overriding and drowning out the naturally occurring currents that trigger feelings of pain and discomfort.

In theory, stimulators “trick” the brain into ignoring its own pain signals; while generally effective, this can, in practice, lead to serious and potentially life-threatening complications if the device is late dislodged. Complications are not uncommon, and they can range in severity from a light tingling feeling to irreversible disability.

You should not have to pay the price for a manufacturer’s oversight.

Under state law, companies like Boston Scientific, Abbott, and Medtronic are strictly liable for injuries caused by defective devices. If you or a loved one has been injured by a faulty or improperly installed stimulator, you could be entitled to significant compensation.

However, you cannot expect a multibillion-dollar company to go down without a fight.

When you are taking on a corporation with the resources of a small country, you cannot afford to leave anything to chance. A recognized U.S. News & World Report Best Law Firm, the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. has spent decades helping New York families file, fight, and win high-stakes lawsuits. Since our founding in 2005, we have managed to secure more than $300 Million in damages that our clients have used to eradicate their medical debt, seek superior care, and reclaim their financial independence.

We could help you, too.

Call Jed Dietrich, Esq., today at 1-866-529-5334 to speak to a spinal cord stimulator lawyer near New York City and schedule your 100% free, no-obligation consultation as soon as possible.

Spinal cord stimulators are associated with a number of potential complications.

Between 2000 and 2022, more than 80,000 injuries involving stimulators were reported to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. More recent estimates place this figure closer to 118,000, the third-highest rate of “adverse-event flags” for any medical device still sold on the market.

These complications vary in severity, but could include any one or more of the following:

1. Burning sensations;
2. Electrical shocks, including electrocution;
3. Post-surgical bacterial infections;
4. Internal organ and tissue damage;
5. Urinary incontinence;
6. Neurological symptoms;
7. Pain that returns after your body adjusts to the stimulator;
8. Pain that grows worse over time;
9. Disfigurement; and
10. Death.

Despite stimulators’ poor safety record, medical watchdogs and personal injury lawyers believe that some manufacturers may have abused a loophole to adopt significant design changes without subjecting newer devices to strict and typically mandatory safety reviews.

You could be entitled to file a product liability lawsuit against Abbott, Boston Scientific, Medtronic, Nevro, or another medical device manufacturer if you have suffered serious or life-changing injuries as the result of a faulty or defective stimulator.

The Food and Drug Administration categorizes spinal cord stimulators as a Class III device.

Class III devices are “high-risk” and ordinarily subject to a wide range of controls. These usually include mandatory premarket trials, testing, and, eventually, agency review.

The first and earliest generation of spinal cord stimulators was released in the 1980s, with the first dual-lead systems approved between 1991 and 1994. Rapid improvements in technology have led to stimulators undergoing a number of changes in the years since.

However, despite initial approval, many companies elected to take something of a shortcut.

As stimulators became increasingly complex, manufacturers began incorporating cutting-edge technology, including radically new designs, Bluetooth-enabled chips, and reprogrammable software. Under ordinary circumstances, these design changes would have to undergo a separate safety review. But some companies appear to have successfully bypassed this requirement by claiming the changes should be categorized as “Premarket Approval” supplements, for which clinical trials and mandatory reviews are not necessary.

This means that many of the “safe” and “FDA-approved” stimulators sold throughout the United States are untested and borderline unrecognizable variants of approved devices with very different architectures.

Medical device manufacturers are still bound by the law.

In New York, the law says that companies have a responsibility to ensure the products they sell are safe before putting them up for sale. If and when corporations fail to do their due diligence, they could be held liable for the cost of any resulting injuries.

The Dietrich Law Firm P.C. has spent decades filing, fighting, and winning product liability claims against some of the biggest companies in the country. We could help you:

1. Investigate the exact causes of your SCS injury;
2. Assess your damages, accounting for both the money you need now and what you will need moving forward;
3. Begin collecting and analyzing evidence to show that your injury was caused by a defective stimulator;
4. Stay on top of the statute of limitations and ensure that your lawsuit is filed in accordance with state law and all other applicable regulations;
5. Engage in negotiations with Abbott, Boston Scientific, or another medical device company; and
6. If negotiations fail, take your case to trial, where our attorneys excel and have a longstanding track record of incredible success.

Scheduling your initial consultation is fast, easy, and free. If you think you could have a claim, contact us today at 1-866-529-5334 to speak to a spinal cord stimulator injury lawyer near NYC and find out how much your case could be worth.

Call the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. immediately at 1-866-529-5334 so that our aggressive, tenacious, and hardworking personal injury lawyers can fight to obtain the best result for your personal injury claim in New York, New York. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and there is never a fee until we WIN for you!