Intuitive Surgical Inc. Is Defending Itself Against DaVinci Robot Lawsuits Alleging its Surgical Robot Used During A Hysterectomy Causes Severe Internal Injuries.
DaVinci Robot Lawsuits: Intuitive Surgical Inc., which recently settled a da Vinci robot-assisted hysterectomy lawsuit in which Southern Med Law was involved, has been accused by two health insurers of hiding over 700 injury claims. Representatives from Illinois Union Insurance Co. said Intuitive only disclosed 24 claims involving its da Vinci system when it applied for liability insurance in 2013, rather than the 734 claims it actually had, Bloomberg Business reported.
Illinois Union and Navigators Specialty Insurance Co. are expected to ask U.S. District Judge U.S. Jon Tigar this week to void the $25 million in insurance coverage they provided to Intuitive. Illinois Union says Intuitive’s action “is a massive concealment of claims from an insurer, potentially the most egregious in history,” according to the Bloomberg report. Intuitive has asked the court to force Illinois Union to cover 860 liability claims and Navigators to provide coverage for 111 claims. (Case No. 13-cv-04863, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California) Intuitive said in its filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission in April that the company has set aside about $100 million to resolve an unspecified number of injury claims from 2014 through early this year without admitting wrongdoing. The company still faces about 86 lawsuits in 22 states, the Bloomberg news report said.
[bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-05-26/da-vinci-surgical-robot-maker-fights-insurers-over-hidden-claims, Bloomberg, May 26, 2016]
DaVinci Robot Lawsuit Settled By Southern Med Law
Dr. François Blaudeau, founder of Southern Med Law, who has been on the forefront of fighting for people injured by the davinci surgical robot recently settled a lawsuit against Intuitive. The DaVinci robot lawsuit was filed on behalf of a California woman who was seriously injured after undergoing a DaVinci robot-assisted hysterectomy in 2009. Within weeks of 44-year-old Michelle Zarick’s surgery, her intestines protruded through her vagina, requiring her to undergo an invasive emergency surgery. She and her husband, Ryan, sought a total of $300 million. As a California jury was deliberating the case, Intuitive reached an agreement with the plaintiff.
(Zarick v. Intuitive Surgical Inc., DaVinci Robot Lawsuit case number 1-12-CV-237723)
“We aggressively represented the plaintiffs during the litigation but we cannot disclose the settlement amount. However, the plaintiffs were satisfied with the outcome,” Dr. Blaudeau says.
da Vinci robot was implicated in at least 70 patient deaths and injuries snce 2009
Since 2009, da Vinci was implicated in at least 70 patient deaths and injuries linked to robotic surgery had more than doubled in the first eight months of 2013, Bloomberg reported in 2013.
[bloomberg.com/news/articles/2013-10-08/robot-surgery-damaging-patients-rises-with-marketing, Bloomberg News, October 2013)
Southern Med Law is currently representing clients in Da Vinci Robot Lawsuits. If you or a loved one have been seriously injured by Da Vinci or any other robotically assisted surgical systems, please contact the product liability lawsuit attorneys at Southern Med Law for a free legal evaluation of your claim. To speak with one of our lawyers, please call 205-547-5525 or visit www.southernmedlaw.com and fill out the form on our website.
What Is DaVinci Robot-Assisted Surgery
The da Vinci robotic system was used in 176,000 operations during the first three months of 2016, a 17 percent increase over the same period last year, according to Bloomberg. Da Vinci is not a robot because it cannot perform surgery without a doctor controlling the system. Computer-assisted surgical systems, like da Vinci, have a console where the surgeon sits during surgery, a “bedside cart” with components the surgeon controls during surgery, and a separate cart with supporting hardware and software components.
[fda.gov/MedicalDevices/ProductsandMedicalProcedures/SurgeryandLifeSupport/ComputerAssistedSurgicalSystems/default.htm, FDA, July 29, 2015]
About Southern Med Law And Filing A Da Vinci Robot Lawsuit
Southern Med Law is an experienced law firm providing legal representation to the men and women across the country who have been victims of negligent personal injuries, medical malpractice, dangerous drugs, faulty medical devices and defective products. Led by Dr. François Blaudeau, an attorney and a practicing obstetrician/gynecologist, the legal staff at Southern Med Law possesses a deep understanding of Da Vinci robot lawsuits. They’re not afraid to take on the nation’s largest corporations in their pursuit of justice, and are committed to ensuring that all victims have access to the type of aggressive legal advocacy that assures success. To obtain a free, no-obligation Da Vinci robot lawsuit review, please visit www.southernmedlaw.com, or call the office directly at 205-547-5525.
Southern Med Law Is A Dedicated And Experienced Law Firm Providing Legal Support To People Who Were Injured By Dangerous Drugs, Medical Devices and Dangerous Products. Contact Us Today To Know Your Rights!
