How Equipment Failures Cause Adverse Medical Outcomes 

Medical equipment and devices can help healthcare providers save lives. However, when certain materials are improperly tested, defective, or the equipment fails, patients’ lives may be in jeopardy. It is not uncommon for patients to find themselves suffering from severe bodily injury or illness as a result of an equipment failure.

Some families even lose loved ones to fatal injuries caused by medical device defects. Medical malpractice lawsuits are common when equipment failures cause adverse medical outcomes. If you are hoping to recover the compensation you need to get through these difficult times, understanding how these equipment failures contribute to fatal and catastrophic injuries should be a top priority.

Common Causes of Medical Equipment Failures

Your personal injury lawyer will need to carefully evaluate the medical equipment in question to determine whether a failure contributed to the injury or illness you endured. In some cases, you may not know which medical device or piece of equipment was used.

For this reason, we may need to work with medical experts and review case studies to determine whether other individuals have suffered serious injuries related to the same types of medical equipment. Some of the most common causes of medical equipment failures include:

• Failure to properly test medical equipment
• Degradation
• Design issues

Failure to Properly Test Medical Equipment

Medical equipment must be properly tested before being used on patients. This is particularly true when patients require medical devices that must be implanted within the body. Testing must be done to ensure the devices are functional, compatible with the body, and in compliance with federal medical device standards as outlined by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Failure to do so could mean those responsible for medical equipment testing share liability for your damages.

Degradation

Over time, medical devices that are placed within the body can degrade. While medical devices are not typically expected to last forever, they should last for a minimum amount of time. If the degradation happens early, the medical device can lose its functionality and pose a safety risk to the patient.

Design Issues

In some cases, there is an inherent design flaw that causes medical devices or equipment to be faulty or defective. Using poor-quality materials, failing to test the product, or violating state or federal laws are all indicative of medical equipment design issues. In fact, per EWI, the US Food and Drug Administration attributes up to 40% of medical equipment failures to low-quality materials.

You May Have The Right to Total Compensation

If malfunctioning or defective medical equipment or devices are responsible for causing your injury, ongoing illness, or damages, you have the right to hold the at-fault party accountable. You may require the legal support of a traumatic brain injury attorney with Holley, Rosen & Beard, LLC who can help you account for every loss. You may have grounds for a product liability lawsuit or a personal injury claim, depending on whether a design issue or healthcare provider mistake was responsible for the defective medical device in question.

Consult a Reputable Medical Malpractice Lawyer for Help

If you recently lost a loved one or suffered devastating injuries as a result of defective or malfunctioning medical equipment or devices, you may have the right to take legal action against your healthcare provider, the hospital, or even the manufacturer of the medical equipment in question.

When you are going up against a medical device company, having a top-rated Springfield catastrophic injury lawyer from Holley, Rosen & Beard, LLC on your side could make all the difference in the outcome of your case. Learn more about how you can demand justice when you contact our law office to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation.