Spinal Cord Stimulator Lawsuits In Rochester, New York

Jed Dietrich, Esq., Is a Recognized Super Lawyer Committed to Protecting the Rights of Spinal Cord Stimulator Injury Victims In and Around Rochester. 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 way to manage pain, but a series of recent reports indicates that these devices could be some of the most dangerous on the market.

If you or a loved one has been hurt by an SCS, you could be entitled to take action by filing a spinal cord stimulator lawsuit.

A recognized U.S. News & World Report Best Law Firm, the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. has spent decades helping New Yorkers assert their rights to a fair recovery. Our experienced team of product liability lawyers knows what it takes to build a strong, evidence-based case for compensation, and we have the results to prove it. Please send us a message online or call us today at 585-939-3939 to speak to a spinal cord stimulator injury lawyer and schedule your 100% free, no-obligation consultation as soon as possible.

A spinal cord stimulator is a special device that helps manage chronic pain.

They consist of several components, the most important of which include:

1. A bundle of wires, termed “electrodes” or “leads”;
2. A small, Pacemaker-like generator that provides power; and
3. In-built software that determines when and how electrical currents should be delivered.

Leads are typically surgically implanted in the epidural space between the spinal cord’s outer membrane and the walls of the spinal canal. The generator, in contrast, is usually placed under the skin near the buttocks. Under ideal conditions, these components work together as a system, delivering a powerful electrical current capable of overwhelming your brain’s ability to process certain forms of neuropathic pain.

Pain, after all, is a physical feeling with a physical origin. It starts as an electrical current, which travels from your nerves to the brain. Once a pain signal reaches the brain, it is translated into a distinctly unpleasant physical sensation, letting you and your body know when and where you have been injured. In some cases, though, the nervous system can send out false signals, creating pain without any apparent source.

Spinal cord stimulators let patients with neuropathic pain use a remote control to trigger the device, sending a series of electrical impulses down the spine. Many modern systems also let physicians or, in some controversial cases, sales representatives adjust stimulation settings over time, providing a certain degree of flexibility as symptoms change. This flexibility can be helpful with respect to pain management, but it also means that relief is almost entirely dependent on the device continuing to work as advertised.

Stimulators have long been associated with a wide range of side effects and complications, some serious. These include:

1. Feelings of numbness or tingling when using the device;
2. Surgery-related bacterial infections;
3. Wire leads that move out of place, break, or migrate to other parts of the body;
4. Pain that comes back or gets worse after your body has adjusted to the SCS;
5. Spinal cord injuries caused by surgical mistakes or broken wires; and
6. Generator failures and malfunctions, which are associated with internal injuries, including burns and electrocution.

Some reports indicate that spinal cord stimulators could cause other serious and long-lasting problems, including hypotension, sexual dysfunction, urinary incontinence, neurological deficits, and even death.

Despite being marketed as safe, spinal cord stimulators are one of the most-flagged medical products on the market. Researchers believe that, between 2000 and 2022, more than 80,000 patients sustained injuries due to improperly installed or defective stimulators. More recent estimates suggest this figure has increased to more than 118,000.

The following manufacturers and products have been named in SCS-related injury lawsuits:

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

Federal data shows that, over the course of 15 years, spinal cord stimulators were implicated in about 180,000 adverse event reports, resulting in over 118,000 documented and suspected injuries.

The legal system uses the term “damages” to describe compensation in product liability lawsuits.

In New York, damages fall into three distinct categories:

1. Economic damages. Your economic damages compensate verifiable forms of financial loss. They could include relief for existing medical bills, anticipated care, lost income from work, and miscellaneous expenses associated with your recovery.
2. Non-economic damages. Your non-economic damages compensate less-tangible and comparatively abstract forms of hardship, pain, and suffering. In a typical SCS lawsuit, non-economic damages could include compensation for physical pain and suffering, emotional pain and suffering, and loss of enjoyment.
3. Punitive damages. Punitive damages do not compensate for loss. Instead, they are levied as punishment against unusually negligent or overtly reckless defendants. You could be entitled to punitive damages if there is evidence to indicate that the manufacturer failed to warn the public despite knowing that its products were dangerous or likely to result in serious injury.

New York does not cap damages in most product liability lawsuits, but you should never wait too long to contact a lawyer. If you delay, key evidence could go missing, or the statute of limitations applicable to your claim could expire. Once this happens, you could lose your case on a technicality.

Do not take chances with your rights: contact the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. today at 585-939-3939 to speak to an SCS injury lawyer near Rochester and schedule your 100% free, no-obligation consultation as soon as possible.

Call the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. immediately at 585-939-3939 so that our aggressive, tenacious, and hardworking personal injury lawyers can fight to obtain the best result for your personal injury claim in Rochester, New York. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and there is never a fee until we WIN for you!