An insulin pump is a device that makes it easy for diabetic patients to deliver insulin to their bodies. Medical device manufacturers must create safe products and warn consumers about the possible risks associated with their devices. Unfortunately, they do not always do that. A defect in the design and manufacture of these devices could cause severe medical complications. If you have been injured or suffered adverse side effects from a Medtronic mini-med insulin pump, you can pursue compensation by filing a lawsuit. In most cases, when the device harms a large group of people, you can come together and file a mass tort against the pump manufacturers. By contacting Consumer Alert Now, you can get information on the dynamics of the device. You will also be connected with our lawyers to determine whether you have a case and we can help you to join a mass tort.

What is a Medtronic Mini-Med Insulin Pump?

A Medtronic Mini-Med Insulin Pump is a small electronic device about the size of a phone that makes it easy for diabetic patients to deliver insulin in the body. The device is fitted with an infusion set that allows the insulin to be correctly delivered to the body. Patients with type 1 diabetes produce very little or no insulin, which is supposed to help the body process glucose. Without insulin, the body cannot draw energy from the food we consume. High levels of glucose could cause high blood pressure or even death.

On the other hand, patients with type 2 diabetes have a resistance to insulin production by their bodies. Either way, diabetic patients will require to be supplemented with insulin to help live normal and healthy lives. There are several ways through which insulin is delivered in the body, such as injection. However, the insulin pump is a part of the advanced medical technology that makes the task easier.

Instead of a needle, the insulin pump has a small flexible tube that sits under the skin. The insulin travels through the tube to the body. Medtronic is the leading manufacturer of insulin pumps, and they advertise their products as superior. They claim that their pumas are accurate and adjustable to ensure the correct amount of insulin is delivered to the body. According to Medtronic, the device helps control insulin and reduce instances of hypoglycemia.

In a recent recall, the FDA stated that the infusion sets that go with the pumps had a defective aspect leading to excessive delivery of insulin. The vent membrane can get blocked during priming, which results in insulin over delivery. Medtronic was allegedly unaware of the issues until patients started describing incidents of hypoglycemia.

In 2013, the FDA sent a letter of warning to the company that the facility that was producing their insulin pumps was not in conformity with good manufacturing standards. The company failed to identify aspects that need to be corrected, and in 2014 they recalled some more insulin pumps due to button pressing errors. Even though Medtronic Mini-Med Insulin Pump makes delivering insulin easier, their defects could result in serious injuries to the users. Fortunately, if you or your loved one is a victim of the defects, you can seek compensation in a defective device claim.

Potential Side Effects of the Medtronic Mini-Med Insulin Pump

We expect drug and medical device manufacturers to test for safety and effectiveness before putting them on the market. However, this is not always the case. Some injuries caused by defective insulin pumps can be life-altering and leave you and your family under huge medical bills. In some cases, one could lose their life from these effects. Some of the potential side effects of faulty Medtronic Mini-Med Insulin Pump include:

  • Death — When an insulin pump is defective in that it over-delivers insulin to the body, a patient may develop high blood pressure, resulting in the death of a diabetic patient. Losing a loved as a result of negligence is very devastating.
  • Hyper and hypoglycemia — When the vent in an insulin pump is broken, excessive insulin may be delivered to the body. The insulin will break down al, the glucose in the body to form energy and result in hypoglycemia. When the vent is broken, the pump can’t deliver the required amount of insulin to break down glucose. This results in the accumulation of glucose and hyperglycemia. The symptoms of hypoglycemia may include a racing heartbeat, Fatigue, severe headaches, anxiety, and confusion. 
  • Diabetic coma — When the insulin pump fails to provide the right dosage of insulin when the patient is sleeping, they could lose consciousness, slip into a diabetic coma, which is often fatal.
  • Stroke — A stroke occurs when blood supply to the brain is interrupted, thus damaging brain tissues. Individuals who suffer from diabetes are at a high risk of getting a stroke when the blood sugars are not controlled. When the insulin pump fails to provide the right amount, you can suffer from low blood pressure, resulting in a stroke.
  • Kidney damage — Poorly controlled glucose levels in the blood can damage the kidney’s blood vessels and alter its function.
  • Vision damage — A defective Medtronic Mini-Med Insulin pump may not provide the required amount of insulin needed in the body. This causes over accumulation of glucose in the blood. Over time, having too much sugar in your blood could damage your retina, the part of the eye that detects light. Losing your ability to see could be very devastating, especially when another person’s negligence caused it.

Lawsuits Filed Against Medtronic Mini-Med Insulin Pump Manufacturers

If you have been injured by a defective insulin pump from the Medtronic manufacturers, you can file a claim against the company for compensation. In most cases, when a product is defective, many individuals who are using it can get affected. Filing a lawsuit as a group can be easier to navigate as compared to working alone. Some of the lawsuits that have been filed against Medtronic include:

In the recent past, a group of plaintiffs filed a lawsuit against Medtronic Mini-Med in the superior court of California. The plaintiffs claimed that they suffered serious injuries from using the Medtronic insulin pumps to treat type 1 diabetes. The case was later moved to the central district of California. The individuals who formed the lawsuit came from all over the country, and they each had the same equipment that was defective. In their defense, the insulin pump manufacturers argued that those cases were fraudulently joined since each plaintiff had the same medical device.

The lawsuit was based on Medtronic 670G and the Medtronic 630G insulin pumps. These two pumps were made to be worn around the waist or attached to a bra. Before the sale, Medtronic advertised that the devices act as the human pancreas to deliver insulin based on glucose levels in the body. The plaintiffs in this lawsuit claimed that the devices were in a dangerous condition and unfit for their intended purpose.

After the lawsuit was filed, Medtronic recalled over 300,000 of the 600 series insulin pumps because of a manufacturing problem. The affected devices had a missing or broken retainer ring that helps lock the insulin cartilage into place. Most of the affected persons reported hyperglycemia, and some died from the effects of the defective pumps. If you have suffered any negative complications from a defective Medtronic Mini-Med insulin pump, you can join a mass tort and bring a claim against the company.

Filing a Mini-Med Insulin Pump Lawsuit

Medtronic technology keeps improving and making medical procedures easier. However, serious risks of injury or death have continued to occur due to using their insulin pump. If a malfunctioning Mini-Med Insulin Pump injures you or your loved one, you can seek compensation for your injuries from the manufacturers. 

Compensation benefits in a defective insulin pump claim could either be economic or economic. Economic damages are easy to calculate and mostly constitute money losses that you have suffered during the case. Calculating non-economic losses are more complicated since they relate to the aspects of the injury that are more difficult to quantify. Some of the Economic compensation benefits you could claim in your lawsuit include:

Current and Future Medical Costs

The side effects that arise from the use of defective Medtronic insulin pumps are often fatal. You will require specialized medical attention to correct the complications. Medical costs could include bills from a doctor, pharmacy prescriptions, hospital stays, and other relevant treatments. If your injury requires continuous treatment, your claim should include a demand for future medical expenses.

Lost Wages

Some of the injuries that result from a faulty insulin pump are catastrophic and can hinder you from going back to work. If this was the case for you, you could seek compensation for lost wages. If you run your own business, you can be compensated for the amount you lost in self-employment income. If the device’s effects would completely hinder you from missing work in the future, you can include a demand for your lost ability to earn in the future.

Disability and Disfigurement

The Medtronic Mini-Med Insulin Pump is used by individuals who are dealing with diabetes. Problems arising from a faulty device could take a toll on their health. One of the most severe side effects of the insulin pump is a stroke. This could leave you with permanent disability and change your life forever. If you have suffered such life-changing effects, you can claim disability compensation.

Pain and Suffering

This type of benefit provides emotional and physical pain, suffering, or anguish caused by defective device injuries. There is no specific method of calculating pain and suffering. However, depending on the circumstances of the case, these damages could be substantial and last a long time.

Mental and Emotional Damages

When you purchase a Medtronic Mini-Med Insulin Pump, you expect to get an easier time delivering insulin. Having to deal with the condition at hand and the negative side effects of the device could be difficult for you and your family. The emotional and mental distress that you could go through as a result of the injuries is immense. Fortunately, you can seek compensation from the manufacturers of the device.

Losses Related to the Death of a Loved One

When an insulin pump malfunctions, the side effects could include death. Losing a loved one through a way that could be avoided through caution, you can recover the losses related to the death of your loved one. This could include the financial support provided by the deceased or even loss of affection, companionship, and emotional support.

Possible Forms of Defects in an Insulin Pump

Even though each case is unique, product liability claims have certain aspects in common. When filing a lawsuit for injuries caused by a defective insulin pump, you must prove that the device was defective, and as a result, you suffered injuries. There are three ways in which a product can be defective, including:

  • Design Defects

A design defect occurs when the device’s design is defective and dangerous, and as a result, it causes injury to its users. When a product is defectively designed, the whole line of products is dangerous. Even when the product is manufactured and used correctly, a device with design defects could still cause serious injuries to the users. You must prove the defective design when you are claiming compensation for injuries resulting from a design defect in Medtronic Mini-Med Insulin Pump.

  • Manufacturing Defects

The most obvious type of product liability claim is often based on when the injury-causing device was defectively manufactured. Manufacturing defects occur when something is left out or done wrong during the manufacturing process. In most cases, the failure to follow the design properly results in manufacturing defects. As a result of manufacturing defects, a product that causes your injury could be different from others with the same design. Even when you are filing a mass tort for the injuries you suffer from a defective insulin pump, you need to ensure that your injuries’ cause was a defect in the manufacture of the product.

Marketing Defects

When putting out medical devices on the market, it is required that they provide enough information on how to handle and use the device. Also, any side effects that may arise from product use should be clear to help consumers make informed decisions when purchasing it. Failure to warn claims involve products that could harm someone when they are not used in the right way or requires one to exercise special precautions when using it. For a claim to be accepted and compensated, the injuries you suffered from the faulty insulin pump must be a result of failure to warn or instruct properly.

Joining a Mass Tort for Defects Associated with the Medtronic Mini-Med Insulin Pump

A mass tort is a civil case brought about by many individuals who have suffered from the same product. Filing a claim against a company as big as Medtronic can be complicated when you are doing it alone. However, by joining a mass tort, you can fight together to get the compensation you deserve. A mass tort can involve different complaints about the same product and is often an option for individuals who have suffered injuries from drugs or medical equipment. When you join a mass tort, each plaintiff will have their case, and they will all be grouped for legal proceedings.

Drugs and medical device manufacturers are responsible for ensuring their product =s are safe by:

  • Conducting adequate clinical trials as required by the FDA
  • Indicating the possible risks and benefits of their products for users and healthcare providers
  • Continuously testing the products to ensure safety for the consumers

When the manufacturers fail to satisfy these requirements, they could be held liable for the harm you suffer. Medical device lawsuits are complex, thus joining a mass tort could make it easier for you. Since a mass tort claim involves multiple plaintiffs, they can take time to get settled as compared to personal injury claims. 

Complications from defective medical devices vary with severity from one person to another. Therefore it is difficult to determine whether your claim is feasible. If you have experienced side effects from a Medtronic Insulin pump, you may feel confused about what step to take. Consumer Alert Now will connect you to lawyers who can evaluate your experience and determine whether you have a claim. 

Process of a Mass Tort Claim

The following are basic steps to be followed when navigating a mass tort claim for a defective Medtronic Mini-Med Insulin Pump:

  1. Review of the records

Your records will be reviewed when you decide to join a mass tort for injuries resulting from a defective insulin pump. Your statements and the medical injuries identifying the defective device and your injuries are used to determine whether you have a claim.

  1. Checking injury consistency

For a claim to be classified as a mass tort, the injuries suffered should be related. When you are joining the mass tort, a professional must be interviewed to ensure the details of your defective device have relevance to the tort. If your injury doesn’t connect to the mass tort, you may have to sue the company separately. The lawyers in the tort investigate the matter fully with each victim before the case is taken to court.

  1. Federal court filing of the tort

After establishing that each victim’s injuries are relevant to the mass tort against Medtronic, the cases will be consolidated to speed up processing. When a mass tort in which you are involved is filed, you will be witnesses to the claim.

  1. Trials

During the trials for a mass tory, a small group of lawsuits is chosen from the larger group and tried. The outcome of these sample cases will help determine the possible outcome for future cases. In order to ensure a medical device mass tort win in court, the legal team is required to prove how the defect caused injuries for the plaintiffs. In a mass tort, it is easy to have a large amount of evidence to show that the defendant’s negligence was responsible for the injuries. However, proof that the insulin pump had manufacturing, design, or marketing defects is necessary.

  1. Settlement

After the evidence is presented, parties could enter a negotiation to determine the amount enough to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries. Proposed agreements will then be presented to you and other claimants to determine whether you want to accept it. Most product liability claims end up in a settlement, and both sides are expected to attend the settlement conference. If an agreement is not reached, the case will then proceed to the official trial.

Because of all the steps involved in a mass tort claim, the case could take several years to resolve. When the jury reaches a verdict and wins the tort, you will recover compensation for the injuries you suffered. Unlike a class action, mass tort plaintiffs receive compensation depending on the extent of the injuries you suffered.

Find Mass Tort Legal Guidance Near Me

New medical devices are introduced into the health care system every year due to advancements in medicine. The Medtronic mini-med insulin pump is meant to improve the quality of life for individuals with diabetes type one and two. Sometimes, these devices have defects that could cause serious health issues such as hypoglycemia or even death. Dealing with diabetes is already hard enough, adding on to the injuries caused by a defective insulin pump could be devastating. Fortunately, if you or your loved one has suffered injuries from an insulin pump, you can file a lawsuit against the manufacturers and recover compensation for your injuries. At Consumer Alert Now, we are dedicated to providing you with relevant information on the potential risks and side effects of these medical devices. We will also connect you with lawyers who can guide you through the suit. Contact us today from any location at 800-511-0747.