Guidant settles with states over faulty defibrillators

08/31/2007 - Florida is one of 35 states that have reached a settlement with Guidant Corp. over defective implantable defibrillators. Guidant will pay $16.75 million to the states for consumer education and will implement safety programs and report any future problems with the devices.

The defibrillators are implanted in the chest to monitor a patient's heart rate. If the heart stops, it delivers a jolt of electricity to restart it.

One of Guidant's brand of defibrillators had a wiring problem that caused it to short circuit. An investigation found that Guidant made two different changes to correct the wiring problem in 2002 but continued to sell unmodified defibrillators for two years without telling doctors or patients until 2005, a release from Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum's office said.

Guidant is providing new devices to patients upon request and reimbursing them up to $2,500 for out-of-pocket expenses. The settlement requires Guidant to extend the program another six months, and $1 million of the $16.75 million settlement will be used to reimburse patients for expenses beyond $2,500.

Ennis & Ennis, P.A. is representing individuals that have been harmed as a result of Guidant side effects. If you or a loved one have suffered as a result of Guidant related vision complications you may be entitled to compensation. Click here to contact one of our Guidant Attorneys about a Guidant lawsuit today.