Port Catheter Lawsuit

A port catheter, often called a port or a chest port, is a small device placed under the skin, usually in the chest, and connected to a thin tube that leads to a large vein. It gives nurses a way to give chemotherapy, antibiotics, fluids or nutrition and to draw blood without a new needle stick each time. Many cancer patients have one for months or years.

The lawsuits say that some AngioDynamics and Navilyst port catheters were defectively designed. They say the catheter could separate from the port, break, move out of place or form clots, and that the company did not give patients and doctors adequate warning. The companies deny these claims. A court has not decided them.

• Catheter fracture, with pieces that travel to the heart or lungs
• Catheter or port moving out of position
• Serious bloodstream infection, including sepsis
• Blood clots, including deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism
• Blocked ports that stop working
• Tears or punctures of tissue, blood vessels or organs, and bleeding
• Heart rhythm problems and fluid around the heart
• Dying tissue around the port site and severe pain
• Death, in some cases (see our wrongful death practice)

The lawsuits involve AngioDynamics and Navilyst ports, including the SmartPort, Vortex, BioFlo and Xcela product lines. Many patients do not know the brand of their port. Your implant card or hospital records usually name it, and we can help you find out.

Every case depends on its own facts. In general, we look for these things:

• You or a family member had a port catheter implanted, and it may be one of these brands. You do not need to know the brand to call.
• The port was not placed only for dialysis.
• While the port was in place, a serious complication followed, such as a broken or moved catheter, a blood clot, a puncture of a vessel or organ, serious bleeding, or a blocked port, and it led to a hospital stay or a death.
• For infections, the infection generally needs to have started well after the port was placed and to have been serious enough to need a hospital stay.
• You can get your own medical records, which matters most for ports placed many years ago.
• You have not already hired another law firm for this claim.

You do not need your records to call. We will help you get them.

• Federal cases. The federal port catheter cases were sent to one court in the Southern District of California in October 2024. More than 400 cases were pending as of October 2026.
• Test cases. The court is working through a small group of test cases to see how the claims hold up. Their outcomes will not decide other patients' claims. The first trial is not expected for some time.
• Settlements. None had been reported as of October 2026, and nobody can promise what any case will be worth.
• Time limits. The companies have argued that some older claims were filed too late. That is one reason not to wait.

If a claim succeeds, compensation may include medical bills, the cost of surgery to remove or replace a port, lost income, pain and suffering, and emotional distress. In a wrongful death case it may cover the family's losses. We cannot promise any outcome or amount, and past results do not guarantee similar outcomes.

Time limits apply and depend on the facts. Do not assume it is too late, and do not wait. Call us as soon as you can so we can check the deadline that applies to you. Medical malpractice claims have their own rules and are a separate question.

1. 1Free initial consultation. We listen and answer your questions. There is no cost and no obligation.
2. 2A few screening questions. Which port you had and when, what happened, and what treatment followed.
3. 3Records. If we move forward, we help you collect the implant record, surgery notes and treatment records.
4. 4An honest answer. We tell you whether we can help. If we cannot, we say so.
5. 5If we take the case, we explain how fees work before you decide.

We have protected the rights of seriously injured people in Connecticut and across the country since 1974, including patients hurt by defective drugs and medical devices such as the AGGA dental device.