Pain Pump Lawsuit | Chondrolysis Injury Attorney

A pain pump is a medical device that is implanted inside a patient’s body which delivers medication – most often a pain management substance such as anesthesia – to help alleviate pain.  Pain pumps are placed into the affected area by a surgeon, and injects medication at a rate and amount as prescribed by a physician.  Pain pumps are commonly used after shoulder and knee surgeries because it can be effective in alleviating post surgical pain symptoms without the use of harmful narcotics. However, although these pain pumps are only implanted for anywhere between a few hours or up to a few days, it can lead to serious and detrimental consequences.  The most widespread and dangerous pain pump injury is condition known as glenohumeral chondrolysis.  Chondrolysis is known to tear away a person’s cartilage in the surrounding area, forcing bones to grind against one another. This can lead to excruciating pain, permanent loss of movement and require additional revision procedures.

Can I File a Claim for My Pain Pump Injuries

According to a study published by The American Journal of Sports Medicine, individuals who used a pain pump have a 63 percent  risk of developing chondrolysis.  Additionally, manufacturers of pain pumps failed to acquire proper FDA approval for using these medical devices on shoulder joint spaces, yet continued to market its use and viability to surgeons for this use. In order to effectively file a pain pump lawsuit against its manufacturers, several factors must be satisfied.  These factors are: 1. The pain pump was placed into the joint space, often called synovial space, rather than into the subacromial areas or outside the muscle tissue 2. The pain pump caused the patient to suffer chondrolysis, cartilege breakage or capsulitis 3. The pain pump exerted some form of anesthetic including Marcaine, Bupivacaine, or Sensorcaine instead a narcotics commonly used for pain management

Who’s Responsible for My Pain Pump

Generally, the manufacturers of the pain pump will be found responsible for your injuries. Although many companies distribute these pain pumps, three companies monopolize the sector. Stryker Corporation – received the rights to market the McKinley Pain Pump in 2000, despite the fact that the device had not been approved by the FDA for use inside the joint space.  Furthermore, Stryker has been cited for illegally compensated surgeons and health professionals for using its pain pumps. I-Flow Corporation – I-Flow has rejected any assertion of wrongdoing, claiming that there is no substantial evidence to support pain pumps are responsible for causing chodrolysis.  They made these claims despite the high rate of injury and substantiated medical studies. DJO – Probably the smallest of the three corporations, DJO is the manufacturer of the DonJoy® Pain Control Device, and are similarly guilty of marketing a medical device they should have know was unsafe for the purpose it was being used.

Pain Pump Attorney

Improperly placed pain pumps can be very painful, and lead to devastating injuries.  A pain pump attorney is available to answer your questions regarding a potential claim for injuries suffered.  Call us to receive a free consultation to determine whether you are eligible to receive compensation from your defective pain pump.