Ada M. Martin and Harold L. Martin v. Telectronics Pacing Systems, Inc. Tplc, Inc. D/B/A Telectronics Pacing Systems Telectronics Pty Limited

105 F.3d 1090, 1997 U.S. App. LEXIS 1627, 1997 WL 35041
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
DecidedJanuary 31, 1997
Docket94-4003
StatusPublished
Cited by52 cases

This text of 105 F.3d 1090 (Ada M. Martin and Harold L. Martin v. Telectronics Pacing Systems, Inc. Tplc, Inc. D/B/A Telectronics Pacing Systems Telectronics Pty Limited) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Ada M. Martin and Harold L. Martin v. Telectronics Pacing Systems, Inc. Tplc, Inc. D/B/A Telectronics Pacing Systems Telectronics Pty Limited, 105 F.3d 1090, 1997 U.S. App. LEXIS 1627, 1997 WL 35041 (6th Cir. 1997).

Opinion

KENNEDY, Circuit Judge.

In this products liability suit, plaintiffs, Ada and Harold Martin, appeal the District Court’s summary judgment in favor of defendants, awarded largely on the basis of pre *1092 emption under 21 U.S.C. § 360k(a) of the Medical Device Amendments of 1976 to the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. We previously affirmed the judgment of the District Court. Martin v. Telectronics Pacing Sys., Inc., 70 F.3d 39 (6th Cir.1995). Thereafter, the United States Supreme Court granted plaintiffs’ petition for writ of certio-rari, vacated our prior judgment, and remanded the case to our Court for further consideration in light of its decision in Medtronic, Inc. v. Lohr, — U.S. -, 116 S.Ct. 2240, 135 L.Ed.2d 700 (1996). Martin v. Telectronics Pacing Sys., Inc., — U.S. -, 116 S.Ct. 2576, 135 L.Ed.2d 1091 (1996). Pursuant to the Supreme Court’s order, the case is again before us for our determination.

I.

Factual Background

The plaintiffs filed suit against Telectron-ics Pacing Systems, Inc. (“Telectronics”) after Ada Martin suffered injuries resulting from the implantation of the Telectronics Guardian ATP 4210 Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator-Demand Pacemaker (“device”). The device, which combines the functions of a defibrillator, a cardioverter, and a pacemaker, was one of fifty such experimental devices. The device is implanted into the patient’s body and generates electrical shocks, when' necessary, to maintain a normal heart rhythm.

On the morning of March 31, 1992, Ada Martin signed a form consenting to implantation of the device to correct a heart ailment. Later that day, doctors at the Ohio State University Hospitals implanted the device into Ada Martin’s chest. Plaintiffs claim that the device began to malfunction sometime after the operation and was therefore replaced in a subsequent operation on November 19, 1992. As a result of the alleged malfunction of the device, the Martins claim that they suffered $500,000 in damages.

Plaintiffs allege five causes of action under Ohio products liability law pursuant to Ohio Revised Code §§ 2307.74-.78. The Complaint alleges that the defendant (1) defectively manufactured the device; (2) defectively designed the device; (3) failed to adequately warn plaintiffs; (4) failed to conform to certain unidentified “express representations;” and (5) supplied the device in question to plaintiffs. Ada Martin’s spouse also pleaded a derivative common-law tort claim alleging that he suffered loss of consortium and companionship as a result of the defendant’s conduct.

Telectronics filed for summary judgment on all of the plaintiffs’ claims arguing that they were preempted by section 360k(a) of the Medical Device Amendments. The District Court granted Telectronics’ motion. On appeal, we affirmed the judgment of the District Court and held that all of plaintiffs’ claims were preempted. Additionally, we held that the finding of preemption did not violate the plaintiffs’ Seventh Amendment right to a jury trial. Subsequently, plaintiffs petitioned the United States Supreme Court for a writ of certiorari. Their petition was granted and the Supreme Court remanded the case to our Court for reconsideration in light of the Court’s decision in Medtronic, Inc. v. Lohr, supra.

II.

Standard of Review

Despite the Supreme Court’s order vacating and remanding the case for our redeter-mination, our standard of review remains unchanged. This Court’s review of a grant of summary judgment is de novo; it uses the same test as used by the District Court. See Brooks v. American Broadcasting Cos., 932 F.2d 495, 500 (6th Cir.1991), cert. denied, 510 U.S. 1015, 114 S.Ct. 609, 126 L.Ed.2d 574 (1993). In reviewing summary judgment motions, courts must view the evidence in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party to determine whether a genuine issue of material fact exists. See Adickes v. S.H. Kress & Co., 398 U.S. 144, 157, 90 S.Ct. 1598, 1608, 26 L.Ed.2d 142 (1970). Under Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c), summary judgment is proper if the evidence “ ‘show[s] that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to [a] judgment as a matter of law.’ ” Canderm Pharmacal, Ltd. v. Elder Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 862 F.2d 597, *1093 601 (6th Cir.l988)(quoting Fed.R.CivP. 56(c)).

III.

Medtronic, Inc. v. Lohr

In Medtronic, Inc. v. Lohr, the Supreme Court was presented for the first time with the question of whether the MDA preempts state common law actions against the manufacturer of an allegedly defective medical device. Lora Lohr and her husband filed suit against Medtronic alleging strict liability, negligent design, negligent manufacturing, and inadequate labeling under Florida state law after Lora Lohr was implanted with a pacemaker manufactured by Medtronic which contained an allegedly defective lead. The pacemaker lead was exempted from the rigorous premarket approval (“PMA”) process under the § 510(k) process for substantially equivalent devices. Medtronic at 2248. After the defendant removed the case to federal court, Medtronic moved for summary judgment arguing that all of the plaintiffs’ claims were preempted under § 360k(a). That section provides:

§ 360k. State and local requirements respecting devices
(a) General rule
Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, no State or political subdivision of a State may establish or continue in effect with respect to a device intended for human use any requirement—
(1) which is different from, or in addition to, any requirement- applicable under this chapter to the device, and
(2) which relates to the safety or effectiveness of the device or to any other matter included in a requirement applicable to the device under this chapter.

21 U.S.C. § 360k(a).

The district court initially denied the motion. However, soon after its decision, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit in an unrelated case held that § 360k required preemption of at least some common law claims. Thereafter, the district court reconsidered its prior ruling and dismissed the plaintiffs’ complaint. Id. at -, 116 S.Ct. at 2249.

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105 F.3d 1090, 1997 U.S. App. LEXIS 1627, 1997 WL 35041, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ada-m-martin-and-harold-l-martin-v-telectronics-pacing-systems-inc-ca6-1997.