A computer monitoring system malfunctioned during
a cardiac bypass procedure, causing a catheter to overheat and
burn his heart
UPDATED:
Edwards
Lifesciences may appeal a jury’s decision to award $40 Million
in compensatory damages to Singh
Irvine, California, March 23, 2008
Gary Singh
After jury's decision for award of $40 million in compensation
for the damage of NRI Paramjit Singh's heart during
a surgery at the Providence Everett Medical Center, Washington
in September 2004, our senior representative contacted the officials
of device manufacturer, Edwards Life Sciences Corp. of Irvine,
California. Amanda C. Fowler,
Senior Manager, Global Communications of Edwards Lifesciences
said:
“This was
the only reported injury related to millions of uses of this device
and the problem that caused the issue has been rectified. While
we are certainly sympathetic to Mr. Singh and believe he should
be fairly compensated for his injury, the award of punitive damages
is contrary to the facts and the law and we have strong grounds
for appeal. Edwards acted responsibly on behalf of the millions
of patients around the world who use its products and the Company
is proud of its safety record over the past 50 years.”
Edwards Lifesciences
proudly celebrates five decades dedicated to helping patients.
According to Gary's research, Edwards Lifesciences
is a global leader in products and technologies to treat advanced
cardiovascular disease, the global leader in acute homodynamic
monitoring and the number-one heart valve company in the world.
Edwards Irvine headquarters is home to the world’s most
advanced heart valve therapy manufacturing plant and the Museum
of Heart Valve Design, the most prominent facility of its kind
in the world. The clinicians, inventors, research and devices
showcased in the museum span the history of heart valve therapies,
from the first devices to today’s most sophisticated technologies.
It has more than 5,600 employees worldwide, selling medical technologies
in nearly 100 countries with 2007 sales of $1.091 billion. Eighty-five
percent of the company’s sales come from brands with leading
global market positions, including Carpentier-Edwards, Cosgrove-Edwards,
Fogarty, PERIMOUNT and Swan-Ganz.
Edwards Lifesciences leverages its research, design, development
and marketing expertise to produce products that address specific
cardiovascular opportunities including heart valve disease, vascular
disease and critical care technologies.
Edwards Lifesciences's Regional Headquarters in Europe - St.
Prex, Switzerland and Japan - Tokyo. It has manufacturing Facilities
in Irvine, CA; Midvale, UT; Dominican Republic - Haina, San Cristobal;
Switzerland - Horw; Puerto Rico - Anasco; Singapore - Techview
Larry King Thanks Valve Seamstress for 'Gift of Life'
On January 10, 2008, Larry King visited Edwards Lifesciences accompanied
by Gloria Briones, an underserved patient who received free cardiac
surgery and an Edwards pericardial heart valve thanks to the Larry
King Cardiac Foundation, The Edwards Lifesciences Fund and its
other supporters.
Now the question can always arise whether it is appropriate award!
Jury Awards
NRI over $40 Million After Medical Device damage his heart
Evert, Washinton., March 11, 2008
Labh Singh
In 2004, NRI Paramjit Singh, 54, checked into Providence Everett
Medical Center for routine cardiac bypass surgery, a monitor malfunctioned-
caused the catheter that was in his heart to overheat and caused
his heart to get burned. The doctor could not remove a catheter
from Singh's heart, he made an incision and found a piece of the
catheter was "burned to a crisp" and the heart tissue
around it was charred. The doctor was unable to re-start Singh's
heart.
Providence Everett Medical Center executives, including CEO
David Brooks (left), shake hands with Paramjit Singh and his wife,
Harmeet Kaur, after the jury is dismissed Monday at the Snohomish
County Courthouse. Dan Bates / The Heraldhttp://www.enterprisenewspapers.com/article/20080311/NEWS01/252455425/0/ETP
Providence Everett Medical Center transferred Singh to University
of Washington Medical Center where he was put on a mechanical
heart device and kept in a chemically induced coma for several
weeks until he could receive a heart transplant. After that he
has reportedly been on anti-rejection drugs and has suffered other
health problems as a result of the injury.
Edwards Life Sciences Corporation asserted that the injury was
caused by a damaged cable supplied by the hospital.
Providence Hospital claimed that the monitor was faulty
Paramjit Singh and the hospital sued Edwards Lifesciences Corp.
of Irvine, California, manufacturer of monitor
medical device.
On March 10, a Snohomish Superior Court jury, panel of
10 women and two men RULED:
- Edwards Lifesciences Corp was 99.99 percent responsible for
Singh's injury
- Providence Everett Medical Center just .01 percent.
But Edwards Lifesciences Corp accused Providence of using a
defective cable and being partly responsible for burning Singh's
heart.
The jury has awarded Singh a sum of $40 million in compensation
for the damage his heart received during a surgery at the Providence
Everett Medical Center. It includes
- $8.35 million in punitive damages- one of the largest of
its kind.
- Singh $24 million, his wife $6 million and their children
$750,000, $500,000 and $500,000 respectively.
But the jury also ruled that Edwards owes Providence about $310,000
in damages.
The jury throughout the five week trial, said:
- Edwards Lifesciences and medical device manufacturers everywhere
that putting profits before human safety is simply not acceptable
- The punitive damages they awarded today shows that they accepted
the challenge of setting a standard for patient safety
- They had the courage to do the right thing for the Singh family,
and for Providence Everett Medical Center
- While it's sad that Edwards Lifesciences didn't just step
up to the fact that its product was faulty, it is a relief that
after more than three years of investigation and discovery,
we are now vindicated by the jury's decision
The judge allowed the Singh's and Providence to argue for punitive
damages -- typically not permitted in Washington court -- since
Edwards is based in California, a state that allows for punitive
damages.
Luvera Law Firm's Paul Luvera, founding partner said:
- Edwards Lifesciences knew these monitors were defective years
before Mr. Singh suffered his injuries.
- It is unbelievable to me that Edwards allowed its quest for
profits to trump its concerns for public safety
- Edwards knew of the potential problem as early as 1998 but
chose not to warn hospitals and other users of the potentially
deadly flaw.
Luvera Law Firm is a nationally recognized firm with high standards
of ethical conduct in the pursuit of justice for clients. Their
experienced attorneys's interests in obtaining exceptional verdicts
and settlements in medical malpractice, brain injury and major
damage cases.
Edwards Life Sciences Corporation:
Edwards is a global leader in products and technologies
to treat advanced cardiovascular disease, the global leader in
acute hemodynamic monitoring and the number-one heart valve company
in the world.
This monitor seems to have contained a line of computer code
that caused fail-safe devices to be shut off, leading to the overheating
of the catheter.
Edwards continued to deny any problem with its product, and
made no attempt to alert other hospitals.
In 2006, Edwards issued a product recall that removed all defective
monitors from healthcare facilities.
