Erickson v. Boston Scientific Corp.

846 F. Supp. 2d 1085, 2011 WL 7036060, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 151795
CourtDistrict Court, C.D. California
DecidedDecember 12, 2011
DocketCase No. SACV 10-698 AG (ANx)
StatusPublished
Cited by23 cases

This text of 846 F. Supp. 2d 1085 (Erickson v. Boston Scientific Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, C.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Erickson v. Boston Scientific Corp., 846 F. Supp. 2d 1085, 2011 WL 7036060, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 151795 (C.D. Cal. 2011).

Opinion

ORDER GRANTING MOTION FOR JUDGMENT ON THE PLEADINGS AND GRANTING MOTION FOR PARTIAL SUMMARY JUDGMENT

ANDREW J. GUILFORD, District Judge.

Plaintiff Robert Erickson (“Plaintiff’) sued Defendants Boston Scientific Corporation and Guidant Corporation (together, “Defendants”) for manufacturing and selling allegedly defective cardiac pacemakers that were surgically implanted in Plaintiff. Defendants now file a Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings and a Motion for Partial Summary Judgment. After reviewing the arguments and papers submitted, the Court GRANTS both motions.

BACKGROUND

Plaintiff has heart problems and has lived with a cardiac pacemaker since 1997. Plaintiffs first pacemaker — the VIGOR DR, Model 1232 pacemaker (“Vigor Pacemaker”) — was surgically implanted in 1997. Plaintiff alleges that although his doctors told him the Vigor Pacemaker would last ten years, it had to be removed after only four years and nine months. (Complaint ¶ 8.)

Plaintiff received his second pacemaker — the INSIGNIA Plus DR, Model 1298 pacemaker (“Insignia 1298 Pacemaker”)— in 2002. (Id. ¶ 9.) Plaintiff alleges that this pacemaker had to be removed in 2005 even though doctors told him it would last ten years. (Id.)

Plaintiff then received a third pacemaker — the INSIGNIA Ultra DR, Model 1290 pacemaker (“Insignia 1290 Pacemaker”). As with the first two pacemakers, Plaintiff alleges that although his doctors told him the Insignia 1290 Pacemaker would last ten years, it failed in less than five. (Id. ¶ 10.)

In 2005, after the Insignia 1290 Pacemaker was removed, Plaintiff received a fourth pacemaker — the ALTRUA 60 DDR, Model S606 pacemaker (“Altrua Pacemaker”). Though the Altrua Pacemaker is still in his body, Plaintiff alleges that its operation is “suspect.” (Id.)

Plaintiff alleges that Defendants “misrepresented the safety and quality of their pacemakers” and “actively concealed” defects in the pacemakers from the FDA and the general public. (Id. ¶ 12-13.) Plaintiff specifically alleges Defendants knew that the life expectancy of the pacemakers was significantly shorter than advertised. (Id. ¶ 15.) Based on these allegations and others, Plaintiff asserts the following five claims against Defendants: (1) “strict liability — failure to warn”; (2) “strict liability — design and/or manufacturing defect”; (3) negligence; (4) fraud; and (5) “gross negligence — malice.” (Id. passim.)

ANALYSIS

The Court first considers Defendants’ Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings before turning to Defendants’ Motion for Partial Summary Judgment.

1. MOTION FOR JUDGMENT ON THE PLEADINGS

1.1 Preliminary Matters

To support its Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings, Defendants request that the Court take judicial notice of the following six documents: (1) a June [1089]*10891995 Premarket Approval (“PMA”) for the Vigor Pacemaker; (2) an October 1996 supplemental PMA approval for the Vigor Pacemaker; (3) a June 1999 supplemental Product Development Protocol (“PDP”) approval for the Insignia 1298, Insignia 1290, and Altrua Pacemakers; (4) a March 2002 supplemental PDP approval for the Insignia 1298 Pacemaker; (5) a November 2003 supplemental PDP approval for the Insignia 1290 Pacemaker; and (6) a January 2009 supplemental PDP approval for the Altrua Pacemaker. Documents 1 and 3 are published in the Federal Register. 61 Fed.Reg. 60,713 (Nov. 29, 1996); 64 Fed.Reg. 68, 695-96 (Dec. 8, 1999). The remaining documents are published by the Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) and are located under the heading “PMA Approvals” on the FDA’s online database. Plaintiff does not oppose Defendants’ requests for judicial notice.

Under Federal Rule of Evidence 201, “[a] judicially noticed fact must be one not subject to reasonable dispute in that it is either (1) generally known within the territorial jurisdiction of the trial court or (2) capable of accurate and ready determination by resort to sources whose accuracy cannot reasonably be questioned.” Fed. R.Evid. 201. Courts may take judicial notice of “undisputed matters of public record,” but generally may not take judicial notice of “disputed facts stated in public records.” Lee v. City of Los Angeles, 250 F.3d 668, 690 (9th Cir.2001) (emphasis in original). Facts subject to judicial notice may be considered on a Rule 12(c) motion. McCain v. Stockton Police Dept., 2011 WL 4710696, *2 (C.D.Cal. Oct. 4, 2011) (citing Mullis v. U.S. Bankr. Ct., 828 F.2d 1385, 1388 (9th Cir.1987)).

The Court finds that the documents here meet the requirements of Rule 201. Accordingly, the Court GRANTS Defendants’ request.

1.2 Legal Standard

“After the pleadings are closed but within such time as not to delay the trial, any party may move for judgment on the pleadings.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(c). Rules 12(b)(6) and 12(c) are substantively identical. See William W. Schwartzer, A. Wallace Tashima & James M. Wagstaffe, Federal Civil Procedure Before Trial § 9:319. For a 12(c) motion, the Court accepts the allegations of the non-moving party as true. Hal Roach Studios, Inc. v. Richard Feiner & Co., 896 F.2d 1542, 1550 (9th Cir.1989); Doleman v. Meiji Mutual Life Ins. Co., 727 F.2d 1480, 1482 (9th Cir. 1984). If the complaint fails to articulate a legally sufficient claim, the complaint should be dismissed or judgment granted on the pleadings. Id.

A complaint need only include “a short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 8(a)(2). “ ‘[Detailed factual allegations’ are not required.” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 129 S.Ct. 1937, 1940, 173 L.Ed.2d 868 (2009) (citing Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555, 127 S.Ct. 1955, 167 L.Ed.2d 929 (2007) (stating that “a complaint attacked by a Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss does not need detailed factual allegations”)). The Court must accept as true all factual allegations in the complaint and must draw all reasonable inferences from those allegations, construing the complaint in the light most favorable to the plaintiff. Pollard v. GEO Group, Inc., 607 F.3d 583, 585 n. 3 (9th Cir .2010).

But the complaint must allege “sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to ‘state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.’” Iqbal, 129 S.Ct. at 1949 (quoting Twombly, 550 U.S. at 570, 127 S.Ct. 1955).

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Bluebook (online)
846 F. Supp. 2d 1085, 2011 WL 7036060, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 151795, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/erickson-v-boston-scientific-corp-cacd-2011.