Woman claims cold therapy product led to tissue damage, sues manufacturer

GALVESTON � Angleton resident Victoria Lynn Williams has filed suit against DeRoyal Industries Inc. after one of its products reportedly caused tissue injury.

In a lawsuit filed April 6 in the Galveston Division of the Southern District of Texas, Williams alleges the defendant's DeRoyal T600, which she was prescribed for her injured left foot in June 2009, inflicted damage to her tissue.

According to the company website, the DeRoyal T600 is a hot and cold therapy system with an automatic temperature control to provide hours of hot or cold therapy for pain and soft tissue swelling following surgery or trauma. For cold therapy, ice is insulated in a cooler and cold water is circulated through a hose to a pad that is wrapped around the injury site.

The company states the hot therapy has a temperature range of 90 to 120 degrees Fahrenheit, while the cold therapy ranges from 45 to 60 degrees.

"Temperature control reduces risk of nerve damage or frostbite," the site states.

However, Williams claims the cold therapy unit was too cold.

"The CTU as manufactured is excessively cold causing the blood vessels to constrict reducing blood flow," they say.

Williams began treatment with the ice pack on June 12, 2009, when she sought medical attention for her foot.

According to the suit, the reduced blood flow for long periods of time at colder temperatures, relative to traditional forms of cold therapy, inflicts damage to tissue and even causes death to skin, nerve and bone.

"In the instances in which the nerve dies, the CTU user often experiences constant, debilitating and chronic pain," it states.

The original petition lists eight counts of alleged wrongdoing against DeRoyal, including but not limited to negligence, failure to warn and defective design.

Consequently, Williams sues for compensatory, treble and punitive damages and seeks a jury trial.

She is represented by Watts Guerra Craft LLP.

U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Hoyt is presiding over the case.

Case 3:11-cv-00166