DeRoyal Cold Therapy Unit Lawsuit Filed Over Tissue Damage Injury

A Louisiana woman has filed a cold therapy lawsuit against DeRoyal Industries, Inc., claiming that use of one of the company’s devices caused her to suffer a permanent tissue damage injury.  

The product liability lawsuit was filed by Toleda Rotolo in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana on May 16.

Rotolo used a DeRoyal T505 cold therapy unit on her left knee from November 2009 to January 2010, and alleges that the machine caused her to suffer an injury that will require extensive and continuing medical care.

The lawsuit claims that the DeRoyal T505 Cold Therapy Unit (CTU) is a defective medical device, which can cause tissue and nerve damage. Rotolo alleges that company released an unreasonably dangerous product and failed to provide adequate warnings for patients or health care professionals about the risk of cold therapy problems. She is seeking damages for pain, suffering, emotional distress, medical expenses, disfigurement and physical impairment.

The claim is one of a growing number of lawsuits over cold therapy, or cryotherapy, that have been filed in courts throughout the United States, particularly involving problems with consumer-operated machines designed for home use. The charges are similar to a cold therapy lawsuit filed in April by another woman in Texas, who suffered damage to her foot after using the DeRoyal T600.

Cold therapy units are designed to treat pain and swelling by exposing the injured areas to hours of heat and cold. The machines are supposed to work in a number of ways. Cold therapy restricts bloodflow to the injured area, slows down nerve impulses that tell you that you are in pain and also works as distraction pain, pulling the mind’s focus away from the injury to the sensation of cold. However, there have been a number of reports of cold therapy problems associated with the devices, including frostbite, skin damage, nerve damage, and a risk of limb amputation.

In addition to DeRoyal Cold Therapy Units, several similar products are available from different manufacturers, including DonJoy Iceman, BREG PolarCare, EBIce, Aircase Cryo Cuff, Game Ready and others.