Medtronic Settles Over 2,000 Heart Device Lawsuits
Medtronic, the world’s largest maker of implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs), has agreed to settle 2,682 product liability lawsuits for $95.6 million.
Marquis ICDs
The lawsuits were filed in connection with a voluntary recall issued by the company in February 2005. At that time, Medtronic recalled thousands of Marquis-brand ICDs because of a potential battery shorting problem.
ICDs are heart devices that provide life-saving shocks to patients at risk for sudden cardiac death.
Plaintiffs claimed that Medtronic was aware of the problem with its Marquis ICDs but sold them anyway without informing patients of safer alternatives. The company filed a motion to dismiss several hundred of the cases, but a federal judge denied the motion.
Under the recent settlement, Medtronic did not admit any liability.
Troubles Not Over for Medtronic
In October 2007, the company recalled its Sprint Fidelis line of defibrillator leads, small wires that connect defibrillators to the heart. That recall affected more than 200,000 patients and has brought the company under scrutiny once again.