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Consumer Law

: ThePopTort

Patients Travel to Washington Today to Urge Congress to Restore Their Legal Rights

By Amanda

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Medical Device Patients from around the country are in Washington, DC today to ask Congress to pass the Medical Device Safety Act organized by the Campaign to Stop Corporate Immunity (CSCI) a coalition of consumer, health and trade associations fighting to restore the rights of patients injured by faulty medical devices.

This comes only a day after the Center for Justice & Democracy released its latest report on medical devices for the heart that have caused thousands of needless injuries and deaths, and how lawsuits have protected against reckless medical device manufacturers.

The following is an excerpt from CSCI's letter to Congress.

Dear Members of Congress,
Because we have had a defective medical device implanted in our bodies, we are here today asking Congress to support HR 1346/S 540, the Medical Device Safety Act.
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Most of us here today have received a Medtronic Implanted Cardiac Defibrillator (ICD) that had a defective Sprint Fidelis lead attaching it to our hearts. This lead has malfunctioned causing patients like us to suffer unnecessary shocks that can only be compared to getting kicked in the chest by a horse. While these are meant to be life saving devices, some of us are here representing loved ones who lost their lives as a direct result of their defects. Medtronic knew this lead was faulty and failed to report problems to the FDA. As a result, hundreds of the defective leads were implanted in heart patients across the country. This was all before they had immunity from lawsuits! Imagine how reckless they will be with out the checks and balances of our civil justice system.
If we cannot hold medical device manufacturers accountable for their actions, we cannot pay for our medical care, a cost that will fall to taxpayers. Why should Americans have to finance the medical device industry?

The full letter can be found on their website here

Full post as published by ThePopTort on March 31, 2009 (boomark / email).