I'm not sure if you heard all the media surrounding Guidant corporation and their failure to notify physicians and their families about defective defibrillators or not, so I'll give you a brief synopsis.
A young man (24 years old) died suddenly when his defibrillator (a device which I also have) failed to work as designed. It was determined to be a product defect - one which Guidant corporation knew of, failed to divulge, and tried to cover up.
Boston Scientific purchased Guidant and today the settlement was reached for the 4,000 affected people.
THE MATH
Agreed Settlement: $195 M
Attorney fees: $58 M
Attorney expenses: (not yet submitted)
Total to complaintants: $137 M*
Number of Litigants: 4,000
Amount to each litigant: $34,250*
Agreed Settlement: $195 M
Attorney fees: $58 M
Attorney expenses: (not yet submitted)
Total to complaintants: $137 M*
Number of Litigants: 4,000
Amount to each litigant: $34,250*
*To be reduced - amount dependent on attorney expense charges.
The feeling of knowing they almost cost you your life and now won't even pay a third of the surgery cost (typically $110,000)? Priceless!
THOSE INVOLVED: MAY I SUGGEST YOU RISE UP IN PROTEST?!?!
YOU WERE SCREWED - WHEN THIS FIGURE FAILS TO COVER THE COST OF THE SURGERY!
The feeling of knowing they almost cost you your life and now won't even pay a third of the surgery cost (typically $110,000)? Priceless!
THOSE INVOLVED: MAY I SUGGEST YOU RISE UP IN PROTEST?!?!
YOU WERE SCREWED - WHEN THIS FIGURE FAILS TO COVER THE COST OF THE SURGERY!
Nice huh??
16 comments:
I have nothing but disgust since hearing about the guidant settlement.When I joined this suit, I would never have if I knew it was going to be a class action suit.Nobody wins but the greedy lawyers.The lawyers had guidant right where they wanted them,even a chance of punitive damages.But with a small chance of losing,they took a sure thing,their money,not even a fourth of what they set aside.no wonder ever one hates lawyers.And now, you can not get an inkling of whats going on.Ever thing is a secret.I would like to see what the judge gets,because he sure was not protecting the people.They are all in it together.Damn crooks!!!!!!!
this pathetic settlement needs to be rejected by as many claimants as possible, in order to force the court and boston scientific back into more realistic negotiations. afterall, boston scientific had reported to the sec in jan. that they had set aside 476 million to settle all the litigation!
this pathetic settlement needs to be rejected by as many claimants as possible, in order to force the court and boston scientific back into more realistic negotiations. afterall, boston scientific had reported to the sec in jan. that they had set aside 476 million to settle all the litigation!
Hello everyone
I also am one of the 4000 litigants. I don't know what to make of this settlement because first I believe the attorneys get more than what you have posted. Next, you realize that all of us will be tiered according to the damages we received.
1. Death (obviously none of us)
2. Device replaced with complications
3. Device replaced without complications
4 Have an affected device
Personally my private insurnace company was charged twice and this was part of my lifetime benefits. To add insult to injury my free replacement is on the affected list too!
Disgruntled litigant
MY NAME IS DAVE AND I ALSO AM ONE OF THE 400O. HAS ANYONE RECIEVED ANY MONEY YET? I'VE BEEN INVCOLVED IN THIS LAWSUIT FOR A LONG TIME AND HAVENT BEEN WELL INFORMED BY MY ATTNYS AS TO WHATS EVEN GOING ON.
Hello Everyone. Just stubbled here. My Father just had is Guidant defibrillator removed completely. I think it was his 4th or 5th operation. He is one of the 4000 involved in this suit and was just offered something like S18,000 which his attorney will take at least a third of. Here is bigger joke, the final settlement will probably be something closer to 10 or 12,000 before attorney's fees.
His Guidant device went off without reason and nearly killed him. Now five operations later, and this is there offer. I am disgusted on so many levels.
Is anyone opting out of this class action, because this in an insult to ones life? This amount doesn't even the cost of the hospital stay for recovery of ONE of his operations.
Norman
I agree , I agree, I agree, gripe, gripe, gripe-----
now, that common ground being established, does anyone have any real hard news on the settlement like who, how much for the various levels, what governs the levels, when it's going to happen? It's too late for this, move on, start doing what you want with the rest of your life, every time you complain it just gets shorter. There are still roses and sunshine and we're still standing on the right side of the grass. You have a life. Use it wisely.
Austin Peay
My husband is one of the 4000. We signed an agreement not to disucs how much we were to receive. We were told originally that we would receive money by Christmas last year, then February, then end of May, and now first two weeks of July. We are not holding our breath. My question is - Who gets the interest?
I AM ALSO ONE OF THE GUIDANT PEOPLE IN THE LAWSUIT. I HAD BOSTON SCIENTIFIC SEND ME A LIST OF ALL THE SERIEL NUMBERS OF THE PACEMAKERS I HAVE HAD AND I AM ON MY 6TH ONE SINCE 1996 AND FIVE OF THOSE WERE DEFECTIVE AND HAD TO BE REMOVED. NO ONE CAN TELL ME WHAT WILL HAPPEN IN MY CASE. WILL THEY PAY PER PACEMAKER OR JUST THE ONE LUMP SUM? IF ANYONE HAS ANY IDEA PLEASE LET ME KNOE BECAUSE MY ATTORNEY DOES NOT HAVE ANY IDEA AND SHE SAYS THAT OF ALL HER CLIENTS I AM THE ONLY ONE THIS HAS HAPPENED TO. WE WERE TOLD CHRISTMAS THIS YEAR FOR PAYOUT.
father-in-law died due to guidant. shouldn't our family be in the top tier of compensation? what amount is for each tier of compensation?
how much is a life in a wrongful death suit?
8500 people $195 million; if divided evenly, that would be $22,941. our family received a grand total of $1600! $400 per son; their father died due to guidant. wasn't this a tiered settlement where the people who were hurt the most would get the most? if that's true, what did other people get, 50 cents?
is there a way to find out what everyone else received? you'd think the families whose family member died would recive the most out of the clients. is there a way to get back at the greedy lawyers and get more from this lawsuit? this is crock! $1600 for 1 family that has to divide it up between 4 sons of the deceased!? can i get a lawyer for my crooked lawyer?
So, lets join together and investigate a class action against the attorneys and possible the courts for this travesty. I too was one of those with a class 1 recall (Per FDA "imminent death". I was shocked 4 separate times when there was no heart problem. And, because of the defect, every time it occurred I was told it didn't happen. I am now in congestive heart failure with about 20% of my heart muscle being alive. I also spent over a year in therapy because I thought I was crazy.
Damn it it people I mad as hell and I am not taking it anymore. Lets FIGHT!!!!!!!
garywhittaz@gmail.com
In the future, if anything like this happens to a family member, it will NOT be an attorney that I'll hire, it'll be someone who can actually give us some satisfaction!!!
Austin Peay - You, sir, are a complete fool and you haven't the common sense of a fly. May you, Boston Scientific, and ESPECIALLY the lawyers suffer unbearable pain and may the children of the sorry lawyers suffer horrible deaths right in front of their thieving, arrogant eyes. "The law" is a total sham, a complete fraud, and a nasty con game from top to bottom!!!
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