NO LONGER ACCEPTING 3M CASES

We all know that having surgery can be scary. We have to put our trust in doctors, surgeons, and other medical staff to keep us safe and healthy during a procedure. Unfortunately, some of the medical products and devices that are typically used to help us during surgery, can have dangerous side effects and may even require more surgery to fix the problem. If you or someone you care about has developed a serious infection after having hip or knee replacement surgery, then you should talk to a 3M Bair Hugger injury lawyer with the Higgins Firm right away. We will review your case and help you to get any compensation you deserve for what you have suffered.

The 3M Bair Hugger Forced Air Warming System connects a portable heater and blower with a hose to a disposable blanket that covers a patient's body during surgery. Hot air is used to warm a patient's skin to help them maintain a normal body temperature. This system is used to help patient's recover quicker from surgery and have less bleeding as well as many other benefits. It has been used with over one hundred and sixty-five million people and in about eighty percent of hospitals in the United States.

Even though these forced air blankets can help a patient keep a normal body temperature during surgery, patients that were kept warm using the 3M Bair Hugger System could have been at a high risk of exposure to contaminated air that may have been in the operating room. The forced air used in this system can cause air to build up and escape underneath a table during surgery. This air can cause contaminated particles to be released into the air in the room and lead to bacteria from the floor of the operating room to go back into the warming blanket and the procedural area of the patient. The bacteria and contaminated particles in the operating rooms can lead to dangerous side effects for patients including but not limited to:

• large amounts of pain
• the need to be hospitalized repeatedly
• the need for multiple surgical procedures
• possible amputating of limbs
• possible surgical procedure to remove or fix a hip or knee implant
• serious infections such as MRSA
• the need for physical therapy

The 3M Company was aware of these dangerous side effects for years but failed to warn patients and surgeons about them. They also did not try to modify or fix the design of the Bair Hugger System in order to decrease the amount of exposure the patients might have to bacteria that could cause infections. It is thought that the 3M Company purposely hid their knowledge of these dangerous side effects to increase their profits.

If you think you or someone you love may have been exposed to a Bair Hugger System during knee or hip replacement surgery or you developed an infection after surgery, it is important that you speak with your doctor or surgeon about your exposure risk and get treatment as soon as possible. Then, it is recommended that you contact one of our experienced and caring Bair Hugger injury and dangerous medical device lawyers at the Higgins Firm. We will answer any questions you might have and work with you to make sure you receive the compensation you may be entitled to.

Please contact us today online or by calling 800.705.2121 to discuss your legal options.