Philips hit with criminal complaint in France

In Jun 2023, over 200 people in France filed a criminal complaint against Dutch company Philips over defective respiratory devices. Philips was accused of deceptive business practices, administering harmful substances, and life endangerment. There are three plaintiffs who accused the company of involuntary manslaughter. The company is being implicated for selling dangerous respiratory assistance devices because of the polyurethane foam utilized to soundproof the machines' interior. The complaint was filed nearly two years following Philips Respironics' recall of millions of mechanical ventilator devices, bi-level positive airway pressure (BPAP), and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines. The recall was due to the foam in the machines that can degrade and release small particles that can irritate airways. The degrading foam can also release gases that may be toxic or carcinogenic, according to the company's warning during the time of the recall in Jun 2021. Majority of the devices are under the firm's first-generation DreamStation portfolio. Philips Respironics stands as a defendant in various claims and lawsuits, including the complaint filed in France. Original Source: Medical Device + Diagnostic Industry (MD+DI), https://www.mddionline.com/technologies, Copyright Informa Markets, a trading division of Informa PLC 2023.
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