Genereux v. Hardric Laboratories, Inc.

950 F. Supp. 2d 329, 2013 WL 3157520
CourtDistrict Court, D. Massachusetts
DecidedJune 23, 2013
DocketC.A. Nos. 04-12137, 10-11652
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 950 F. Supp. 2d 329 (Genereux v. Hardric Laboratories, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Massachusetts primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Genereux v. Hardric Laboratories, Inc., 950 F. Supp. 2d 329, 2013 WL 3157520 (D. Mass. 2013).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

WOLF, District Judge.

I. SUMMARY

Plaintiffs in these consolidated actions are current and former employees of defendant Raytheon Company (“Raytheon”), and members of these employees’ households. Plaintiffs seek a program of “medical monitoring” for beryllium-related diseases. The cause of action for medical monitoring was first recognized by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (the “SJC”) in Donovan v. Philip Morris USA Inc., 455 Mass. 215, 914 N.E.2d 891 (2009) (‘Donovan I ”).

Raytheon has filed a Motion for Summary Judgment, which plaintiffs oppose. The Motion for Summary Judgment contends that plaintiffs would be unable to prove at trial that they have suffered “sub,eellular change,” one of the seven elements of actions seeking medical monitoring delineated by Donovan I. A hearing on the Motion for Summary Judgment was held on June 11, 2013.

As explained below, the Motion for Summary Judgment is meritorious. Subcellular change is a necessary element of the claims plaintiffs assert. The record, construed in the light most favorable to plaintiffs, would not permit a reasonable trier of fact to conclude that plaintiffs have proven this element. Rather, the record indicates only that plaintiffs have suffered an “increased risk” of subcellular change. Consequently, this case presents no genuine dispute of material fact, and Raytheon is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. The court is, therefore, allowing the Motion for Summary Judgment.

II. PROCEDURAL HISTORY

A. Background

This proceeding involves two cases that have been consolidated for at least pretrial purposes. Genereux (C.A. No. 04-12137) was brought by Suzanne Genereux, who is a former Raytheon employee, and her family members, on behalf of themselves alone. See 2d Am. Compl. & Jury Claim ¶¶ 1-2, 10-11 (“Genereux Compl.”). The named plaintiffs in Bettuchy (C.A. No. 10-11652) seek to represent two classes of plaintiffs: (a) individuals who worked at Raytheon’s Waltham, Massachusetts plant for at least one month, before December 31, 1996, who have not been diagnosed with Chronic Beryllium Disease (“CBD”); and (b) members of their households. See Am. Class Action Compl. ¶ 22 (“Bettuchy Compl.”).

Plaintiffs allege that Raytheon handled beryllium negligently at its Waltham facility, exposing the employee plaintiffs and, indirectly, members of their households to elevated levels of beryllium. See Bettuchy Compl. ¶¶ 13, 26, 30. Allegedly, plaintiffs’ exposure to beryllium increased their risk of suffering from beryllium-related diseases, particularly CBD. See id. ¶ 20.

Suzanne Genereux, who has been diagnosed with CBD, brought personal-injury claims against several suppliers who had provided Raytheon with components containing beryllium. The parties settled these claims. Suzanne Genereux’s family members seek medical monitoring from Raytheon. Both putative classes in Bettuchy seek medical monitoring as well.

[332]*332Neither the remaining Genereuxs nor the putative Bettuchy class members exhibit any symptoms of CBD at present. See Genereux Compl. 568; Bettuchy Compl. ¶ 22. Plaintiffs ask that Raytheon be ordered to fund a “medical monitoring program ... including, but not limited to, testing, and preventative screening.” Bettuchy Compl. ¶ 53.

The claim for medical monitoring in Genereux was initially dismissed for failure to allege damages. See May 12, 2005 Order (Tauro, J.), Subsequently, the SJC issued its decision in Donovan I. The plaintiffs in that case sought to represent a class of symptom-free cigarette smokers with smoking histories of twenty “pack-years.” They asked the court to order medical monitoring. Before deciding whether to certify the class, the judge to whom the case had been reassigned, Judge Nancy Gertner, certified two questions to be answered by the SJC. One of the questions was whether a suit “for medical monitoring, based on ... subclinical effects ... state[s] a cognizable claim and/or permit[s] a remedy under Massachusetts state law.” Feb. 23, 2009 Order.

The SJC answered affirmatively. It stated that a cause of action may arise where “competent medical testimony establishes that medical monitoring is necessary to detect the potential onset of a serious illness or disease due to physiological changes indicating a substantial increase in risk of harm from exposure to a known hazardous substance.” Donovan I, 914 N.E.2d at 901 (emphasis added). The SJC held that a plaintiff seeking medical monitoring must prove the following:

(1) The defendant’s negligence (2) caused (3) the plaintiff to become exposed to a hazardous substance that produced, at least, subcellular changes that substantially increased the risk of serious disease, illness, or injury (4) for which an effective medical test for reliable early detection exists, (5) and early detection, combined with prompt and effective treatment, will significantly decrease the risk of death or the severity of the disease, illness or injury, and (6) such diagnostic medical examinations are reasonably (and periodically) necessary, conformably with the standard of care, and (7) the present value of the reasonable cost of such tests and care, as of the date of the filing of the complaint.

Id. at 901-02 (emphasis added). The decision uses the terms “subcellular change,” “subclinical change,” and “physiological change” nearly interchangeably. See id. at 894 (subclinical); id. at 901 (all three terms); id. at 902 (subcellular); id. at 903 (subcellular and physiological). It defines “subclinical” as “[d]enoting the presence of a disease without manifest symptoms; may be an early stage in the evolution of a disease.” Id. at 894 n. 3 (quoting Stedman’s Medical Dictionary 1492 (25th ed.1990)). The SJC wrote that it “leave[s] for another day consideration of cases that involve exposure to levels of chemicals or radiation known to cause cancer, for which immediate medical monitoring may be medically necessary although no symptoms or subclinical changes have occurred.” Id. at 901.

In view of Donovan I, the claims of the Genereux family members to medical monitoring were reinstated. See Mar. 31, 2010 Order (Gertner, J.) (reconsidering dismissal); Apr. 28, 2010 Order (Gertner, J.) (reinstating Raytheon as a defendant). Bettuchy was filed on September 28, 2010, by counsel for the plaintiffs in Genereux. On January 24, 2011, the two cases were consolidated for pre-trial purposes.

The operative complaints in both Genereux and Bettuchy seek to state claims based on the cause of action defined and validated in Donovan I. Among other [333]*333things, the complaints specifically allege that “[pjlaintiffs have experienced subcellular changes to their persons.” Bettuehy Compl. ¶¶ 26(d), 28(c), 42; Genereux Compl. ¶ 64.

B. The Motion for Summary Judgment

Raytheon filed its Motion for Summary Judgment on October 12, 2012. The Motion for Summary Judgment alleges “a specific infirmity of Plaintiffs’ claim.” Mem. Supp. Mot. Summary Judgment 1 n. 1 (“Summ. J. Memo”). It relies on the SJC’s holding in Donovan I

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
950 F. Supp. 2d 329, 2013 WL 3157520, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/genereux-v-hardric-laboratories-inc-mad-2013.