Many people who experience sleep apnea have used assistive devices from Philips Respironics. Unfortunately, rather than helping them get a restful night’s sleep, the devices have caused cancer.
If you or someone in your family trusts these devices with the hopes that they will help your condition but wound up with cancer, it can be a significant blow.
If you suffered an injury because of using the Philips sleep apnea machine, our legal team is ready to fight for you, your health, and your rights. You can reach out to us to start a review of your situation at no cost to you.
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What Are the Problems with Sleep Apnea and CPAP Machines from Philips?
Philips has recalled several million sleep apnea and CPAP machines. Because of a defect with the machines; users would breathe in toxic foam. Ingesting this type of toxic foam may cause cancer or other serious health problems.
Along with causing cancer, some users experienced other symptoms, as well. These included things like damage to the kidneys and liver, headaches, breathing issues, vomiting, nausea, chest pressure, asthma, upper airway irritations, and sinus infections.
Class Action Lawsuit Against Philips
In the summer of 2021, a class-action lawsuit was filed in Massachusetts against Philips. According to the lawsuit, it stated that the company was aware of the toxic foam and the serious health conditions it caused users for several years. In fact, there are existing claims that users have complained about these problems for several years.
While this is true, Philips failed to issue any warning until April 2021, and it took another two months for the company to recall the devices. Also, Philips did not announce the recall until the company released a new device. This meant that patients who had to have the machines were forced to purchase the new ones, which meant the company continued to earn a profit despite the recall of the older machine.
The Basis of Lawsuits Against Philips
There are two violations that are used as the basis for the lawsuits filed against Philips. These include:
Design Defect
One of the main reasons that so many people have filed a lawsuit against Philips is because the devices being sold to those with sleep apnea and similar conditions were dangerous and defective. In fact, the foam used in the device was so toxic that as it degraded, it could cause cancer in the user.
Failure to Warn
Along with using substances in these devices that were extremely dangerous, Philips also did not warn the public of the danger as soon as it was known. There are also allegations that users had been complaining about the issues related to the presence of the foam for several years. At a minimum, Philips had known about this dangerous issue in April 2021 but did not recall the machines until June 2021. This means people were still buying and using the machines for another two months before being warned about the danger and risks.
Potential Health Concerns Linked to the Use of Philips CPAP Machines
The sound abatement foam used in these machines, when degraded, can result in several health issues. Two of the most serious include organ damage and cancer.
Philips has also received reports about sinus infections, cough, chest pressure, airway irritation, and headaches related to the use of these machines. However, there are other possible risks, too, including those that can cause permanent impairment or that may be life-threatening.
Some of the other injuries that may be seen after using these machines by Philips include:
- Lung disease
- Prostate cancer
- ARDS – Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome
- RAD – Reactive Airway Disease
- Lymphatic cancer
- Bladder cancer
- Pleural effusion
- Brain cancer
- Papillary carcinoma
- Breast cancer
- Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
- Chemical poisoning
- Nasal cancer
- Heart attack
- Multiple Myeloma
- Hematopoietic cancer
- Heart failure
- Heart attack
- Lung damage
- Thyroid cancer
- Lung cancer
- Testicular cancer
- Liver disease
- Stomach cancer
- Liver damage
- Severe throat inflammation
- Liver cancer
- Severe nose inflammation
- Leukemia
- Severe ear inflammation
- Real disease
- Respiratory failure
- Kidney cancer
- Rectal cancer
As you can see, the potential diseases caused by these machines are extremely serious and can have permanent and even fatal outcomes.
Contact a Class Action Attorney Today
If you used a Philips CPAP machine and developed any of the diseases listed here, you deserve compensation. Contact our legal team so we can review your case and determine if you are eligible to file a lawsuit. We are here to help you recover the damages you deserve for the injuries and losses you suffered.
