Philips Executives Approved Sale of Defective Breathing Machines Despite Health Risks

Testimony in federal court reveals that a top executive at Philips approved the sale of defective breathing machines by distributors, despite tests showing health risks to patients. The company had halted shipping the devices from its factories near Pittsburgh after discovering the dangers, but allowed distributors to continue selling them. Philips had kept over 3,700 complaints about the faulty devices secret for 11 years before initiating a recall. The decision to allow the sale of the defective devices while risks were known drew criticism from public health experts. The parent company is facing numerous lawsuits and calls for investigation and action from Congress.