Every year medical devices are recalled by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) because of defects or missing parts. There could be a recalled respiratory scanner that didn’t show the right results. There may be insulin pumps that lack the right part to properly function. There may have even been a pacemaker that doesn’t respond correctly around certain electronics.
In the case of a medical device, a defect could leave you or your loved one temporarily or seriously injured. So what happens when medical products need to be recalled? Here’s what you should know:
Faulty medical device recalls
There are many ways a medical device may develop flaws. One way manufacturers know if their product is safe for the general use of medical technicians and the public is through rigorous testing. A product should go through testing to ensure it does what it’s intended to use – and not break during use. If the product fails to meet a certain quality of performance then it shouldn’t make it to market – but tests can be flawed and manufacturers can hide negative results.
Some medical products break down because they use poor materials. These materials may be used to meet a level of affordable equipment with only a fraction of what it cost to make them. In other words, manufacturers may cut the quality of their products to make a profit, thus putting people’s lives in danger when these products show defects.
A lot of medical equipment is like a car – it needs constant maintenance to work properly and without it, the product can fail. If the medical equipment you’re intended to use hasn’t been maintained, you could be at risk of injury.
If you’ve recently experienced the effects of faulty medical equipment then you may need to know your options to recover from your losses.