Federal Court Vacates Judgment in IVC Filter Litigation Case, Cook Medical Continues Fight for Physician Access to Life-Saving Filter Technology

BLOOMINGTON, Ind.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On January 6, Cook announced that the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana vacated in its entirety a February 1, 2019, judgment against Cook Medical in the inferior vena cava (IVC) filter litigation. In vacating the verdict, the Court concluded that the “Plaintiff did not have overwhelming evidence to show the filter was defective or that a defect in the filter caused her injuries” and that “a jury could have just as easily found in Cook’s favor.” The Court also ordered a new trial.

The District Court has dismissed more than 1,000 cases filed against Cook in the multi-district litigation. Cook also has been successful in each of the two other multi-district bellwether cases on its IVC filters, winning a complete jury verdict in its favor in the first case, and winning the second through a complete summary judgment verdict. No court has concluded that Cook’s IVC filters have been defectively designed.

Cook’s IVC filters are life-saving medical implants designed to catch blood clots that can be deadly to patients. Physicians and companies like Cook worked together to develop vena cava filters to help patients and reduce the risk of deadly pulmonary embolisms. Physicians choose to use IVC filters when the benefits of the device outweigh the small risk percentage for patients facing potentially life-threatening blood clots. As the District Court noted in vacating the 2019 verdict, “IVC filters, like all medical devices, have risks associated with their use.”

“Cook filters have saved thousands of lives and are critical to patient well-being,” said Mark Breedlove, vice president of Cook Medical’s Vascular division. “We are committed to continuing the fight for physician and patient access to this life-saving technology."

About Cook Medical

Since 1963, Cook Medical has worked closely with physicians to develop technologies that eliminate the need for open surgery. Today we are combining medical devices, biologic materials and cellular therapies to help the world’s healthcare systems deliver better outcomes more efficiently. We have always remained family owned so that we have the freedom to focus on what we care about: patients, our employees and our communities. Find out more at cookmedical.com, and for the latest news, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.