November 13, 2014 — Covidien has recalled the Nellcor Puritan Bennett 980 ventilator because it could suddenly stop working.
The defect could lead to serious injuries or death unless a healthcare provider connects the patient to another ventilator or a different form of breathing support.
The FDA issued a Class I recall, which is the most serious type of recall.
According to the warning:
“The recalled products have a software problem that causes the ventilator to stop working after the air and oxygen gas supply lines are disconnected and then reconnected, which could lead to serious health problems or death.”
The recall affects ventilators with software versions below 2.8. These products were sold between March 3 and August 22, 2014. They are used in critically ill adults, children, and premature infants in a hospital or during transport. For a list of serial numbers, click here.
Covidien warned their customers about the problem with a letter on October 3, 2014. They will be sending a representative to update the software as soon as possible.
In the meantime, the ventilators can still be used so long as two sources of gas. When disconnecting and reconnecting gas sources, always keep at least one gas source connected. Always have back-up forms of breathing support available just in case the ventilator stops working.
Do I have a Ventilator Injury Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting defective ventilator induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been injured by the Covidien Nellcor Puritan Bennett 980, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Defective Medical Device Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
Attention Lawyers: We consider a referral from another law firm to be one of the greatest compliments. If your firm is interested in referring us a case or for us to send you a list of previous award judgments and/or average referral fees, please visit the Lawyer Referral section of our website.
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC has been recognized as one of the nation’s leading plaintiffs' law firms and handles cases in all 50 states. We are very proud of our legal achievements, but equally self-respecting of our firm's reputation for providing personal attention to each and every client we represent.
