Fifteen patients demand $1.2 billion from a robotic surgery equipment maker, claiming the company uses fear and intimidation to push the defective device on doctors and hospitals.
Plaintiffs claim that Intuitive suppressed evidence that its defective Da Vinci Robotic Device can injure or even kill patients. The use of the robotic device in surgery presents substantial risks of complications and injuries, including post-surgical abscesses, dehiscence, bleeding, hematomas and sepsis. According to the lawsuit:
“Defendant sold its device through a calculated program of intimidation and market management, forcing hospitals and physicians to purchase it in order to appear to be competitive, and creating a fear in their minds that if they did not have this technology they would lose business to competitors.”
Intuitive used prominent websites aimed at doctors and hospitals, seeking to create a demand for the use of its robotic device by patients who consult surgeons. The company reinforced its program by placing on its website for potential patients, names of certain physicians who had performed 20 surgeries with the device.
Have You Been Injured During a Surgical Procedure?
No matter how minor the procedure, when you consent to surgery you entrust surgeons with your life. Defective surgical devices or tools could potentially injure or even kill innocent patients. A surgical error can leave you with a number of serious, potentially life threatening complications.
If you or a loved one has been a victim of a surgical error, contact us today at (504) 522-7885 for a free consultation.
Harrell & Nowak, L.L.C.–New Orleans medical malpractice lawyers