Retrievable IVC filters manufactured by C.R. Bard and Cook Medical have failed at alarming rates — fracturing, migrating to the heart, and perforating organs. Two federal MDLs are actively resolving thousands of claims. Bard has entered a confidential global settlement program; Cook cases proceed individually. Free consultations available.
Litigation Timeline
FDA Issues First IVC Filter Safety Communication
The FDA issued a safety communication warning that retrievable IVC filters left in the body long-term posed serious risks. The communication cited 921 adverse event reports from 2005 to 2010, including 328 device migrations, 146 strut detachments, 70 perforations, and 56 filter fractures. The FDA recommended retrieval as soon as clinically appropriate.
FDA Updates IVC Filter Safety Communication — Reiterates Retrieval Urgency
The FDA issued an updated safety communication reinforcing the 2010 recommendation. The agency noted that continued adverse events had been reported despite the prior warning, that long-term risks of filters left in place remained poorly characterized, and that benefits of permanent filter placement had not been established. The update increased pressure on manufacturers to improve retrieval rate tracking.
Bard IVC Filter MDL 2641 Established in District of Arizona
The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation consolidated federal IVC filter cases against C.R. Bard in the District of Arizona, assigned to Judge David Campbell. MDL 2641 ultimately consolidated over 8,000 cases, making it one of the largest medical device MDLs in the country. The MDL allowed coordinated discovery of Bard's internal documents revealing decades of concealed fracture data.
Cook Medical IVC Filter MDL 2570 Established in S.D. Indiana
The JPML consolidated federal IVC filter cases against Cook Medical in the Southern District of Indiana, assigned to Judge Richard Young. MDL 2570 consolidated approximately 5,000 cases. Cook, as a private company, adopted a more aggressive litigation posture than Bard, proceeding through bellwether trials without reaching a global settlement.
Hyde v. C.R. Bard — $3.6M Plaintiff Verdict Affirmed on Appeal
The Ninth Circuit affirmed the district court's $3.6 million plaintiff verdict in Hyde v. C.R. Bard — the landmark Bard MDL bellwether result. The Hyde verdict established that Bard's Recovery filter was defectively designed and that Bard concealed known risks, underpinning the global settlement framework that followed. The Hyde decision is the most-cited result in IVC filter plaintiff attorney marketing nationwide.
Bard Enters Confidential Global Settlement Framework
Becton, Dickinson and Company (Bard's parent, which acquired C.R. Bard in 2017 for approximately $24 billion) reached a confidential global settlement framework agreement with the MDL Plaintiffs' Steering Committee. The framework established a tiered settlement grid based on injury severity. Most remaining Bard MDL cases began resolving under the grid in 2022 to 2023, with new cases still accepted into the settlement program.
Notable Verdicts & Settlements
Hyde v. C.R. Bard, Inc.
VerdictTinlin v. C.R. Bard, Inc.
VerdictHill v. Cook Medical LLC
VerdictBooker v. C.R. Bard, Inc.
VerdictPavlock v. Cook Medical LLC
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