How Can I Protect Myself from Defective Medical Products?

Manufacturers of medical products have a legal and ethical responsibility to ensure the items they sell are safe to use; however, problems sometimes arise during the manufacturing and distribution processes that allow dangerous products to make their way onto the market. In fact, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recalls thousands of medical products each year due to defects. Furthermore, the agency reports a 97 percent increase in defective medical product recalls between the years of 2003 and 2012.

You may be wondering, “What are some of the most common types of defects found in medical products today?” FDA research indicates three of the most regularly reported problems include:

• Design Flaws– These occur when the product’s maker fails to recognize problems before a product is manufactured. Typically, these are issues that go undiscovered during testing. A fine example is the DePuy hip recall that was initiated after reports began to surface of the metal-on-metal hip replacement device wearing out prematurely.
• Manufacturing Errors– Such problems include failing to assemble a product correctly or using unsafe parts or ingredients. The risk of developing cancer after using products containing talcum powder is an example.
• Contamination– In the prescription drug world, introducing toxic or unwanted ingredients into a medication is very serious concern today. Some drugs have been found to contain not only unwanted ingredients, but also pathogens and diseases.

So now that you know what some of the common causes for a defective medical product are, you may be asking what you can do to protect yourself from such harm. The Indiana personal injury lawyers with Fleschner, Stark, Tanoos & Newlin suggest checking your products and medications for recalls on a regular basis and also asking plenty of questions to your doctor or pharmacist before beginning to use a new product.

We hope these tips help to keep you and your loved ones safe!