Hafer v. Medtronic, Inc.

99 F. Supp. 3d 844, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 51011
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Tennessee
DecidedApril 13, 2015
DocketCase Nos. 2:13-cv-02340-JTF-dkv, 2:13-cv-02341-JTF-dkv, 2:13-cv-02342-JTF-cgc, 2:13-cv-02343-JTF-dkv, 2:13-cv-02344-JTF-tmp, 2:13-cv-02345-JTF-dkv, 2:13-cv-02346-JTF-cgc, 2:13-cv-02347-JTF-tmp, 2:13-cv-02348-JTF-dkv, 2:13-cv-02349-JTF-tmp, 2:13-cv-02350-JTF-dkv, 2:13-cv-02351-JTF-tmp, 2:13-cv-02433-JTF-dkv, 2:13-cv-02488-JTF-dkv, 2:13-cv-02644-JTF-dkv, 2:13-cv-02645-JTF-cgc, 2:13-cv-02699-JTF-tmp, 2:13-cv-02706-JTF-dkv, 2:13-cv-02709-JTF-dkv, 2:13-cv-02783-JTF-tmp, 2:13-cv-02861-JTF-cgc, 2:13-cv-02862-JTF-cgc, 2:13-cv-02864-JTF-cgc, 2:13-cv-02865-JTF-cgc, 2:13-cv-02866-JTF-cgc, 2:13-cv-02868-JTF-cgc, 2:13-cv-02869-JTF-cgc, 2:13-cv-02870-JTF-cgc, 2:13-cv-02871-JTF-cgc, 2:13-cv-02872-JTF-cgc, 2:13-cv-02873-JTF-cgc, 2:13-cv-02883-JTF-cgc, 2:13-cv-02985-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02196-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02212-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02213-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02214-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02215-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02217-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02218-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02229-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02308-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02329-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02355-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02370-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02376-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02378-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02380-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02382-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02386-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02400-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02401-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02410-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02411-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02412-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02452-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02453-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02473-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02493-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02503-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02523-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02535-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02536-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02537-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02553-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02572-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02591-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02594-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02597-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02614-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02616-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02625-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02672-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02709-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02710-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02772-JTF-dkv, 2:14-cv-02776-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02782-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02783-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02784-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02798-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02799-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02811-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02812-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02813-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02814-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02815-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02817-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02818-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02819-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02820-JTF-dkv, 2:14-cv-02821-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02822-JTF-dkv, 2:14-cv-02823-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02825-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02826-JTF-dkv, 2:14-cv-02827-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02828-JTF-tmp, 2:14-cv-02829-JTF-dkv, 2:14-cv-02830-JTF-dkv, 2:14-cv-02831-JTF-dkv, 2:14-cv-02832-JTF-tmp, 2:14-cv-02833-JTF-dkv, 2:14-cv-02834-JTF-dkv, 2:14-cv02835-JTF-tmp, 2:14-cv-02836-JTF-tmp, 2:14-cv-02837-JTF-dkv, 2:14-cv-02838-JTF-tmp, 2:14-cv-02839-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02840-JTF-dkv, 2:14-cv-02854-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02858-JTF-dkv, 2:14-cv-02921-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02922-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02935-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02941-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02942-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02943-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02944-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02945-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02952-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02953-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02954-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02955-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02956-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02957-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02973-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02974-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02975-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02980-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02981-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02982-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02993-JTF-cgc, 2:14-cv-02998-JTF-dkv, 2:14-cv-03001-JTF-cgc, 2:15-cv-02016-JTF-cgc, 2:15-cv-02017-JTF-cgc, 2:15-cv-02021-JTF-dkv, 2:15-cv-02041-JTF-cgc, 2:15-cv-02045-JTF-tmp, 2:15-cv-02054-JTF-cgc
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 99 F. Supp. 3d 844 (Hafer v. Medtronic, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Tennessee primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hafer v. Medtronic, Inc., 99 F. Supp. 3d 844, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 51011 (W.D. Tenn. 2015).

Opinion

ORDER GRANTING DEFENDANTS’ MOTION TO DISMISS

JOHN T. FOWLKES, JR., District Judge.

Before the Court comes Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss the Master Complaint filed on May 30, 2014. (ECF No. 56).1 On June 30, 2014, Plaintiffs Kathleen Hafer, et al., filed their Response in Opposition to Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss. (ECF No. 57). Defendants filed a Reply in Support of their Motion to Dismiss on July 21, 2014. (ECF No. 59). To this date, Plaintiffs have filed several supplemental authorities in opposition to Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss. (ECF Nos. 61; 80-81). Additionally, Defendants have filed several supplemental authorities in support of their Motion to Dismiss. (ECF Nos. 62; 66-67; 72-77; 83).

On August 13, 2014, oral arguments were held before this Court on Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss. (ECF. No. 68). The Court allowed the parties to file additional briefs in support of their positions by August 20, 2014. On August 20, 2014, both parties filed their Posb-Hearing Supplemental Memoranda in support of their positions. (Pis.’ Posb-Hearing Suppl. Memo., ECF No. 70; Defs.’ Posb-Hearing Brief, ECF No. 71). After reviewing the Motion, Responses, oral arguments by the parties, and supplemental briefings, the Court GRANTS Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss with leave given to Plaintiffs to amend certain deficiencies.

I. PROCEDURAL. AND FACTUAL BACKGROUND

A. Procedural History of Medtronic Cases

Between May 24, 2013 and January 21, 2015, the Defendants have removed several cases from the Circuit Court of Tennessee for the Thirtieth Judicial District at Memphis, Shelby County (“Circuit Court”) to the United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee.2 Subse[850]*850quently, Plaintiffs have filed individual Motions to Remand, arguing, that their claims would be more appropriately adjudicated in state court rather than federal court. To this date, the Court has denied Plaintiffs’ Motions to Remand.

On April 2, 2014, the Court held a Scheduling Conference to coordinate the pending Medtronic cases. (ECF No. 45). Plaintiffs were directed to file a Master Complaint and Defendants were directed to file a Response to the Master Complaint. On April 28, 2014, a Master Complaint, encompassing all current and future Medtronic cases, was filed before this Court. (Master Compl., Mobley v. Medtronic, Inc., 2:13-cv-02985-JTF-cgc, ECF No. 37). On May 1, 2014, Plaintiffs filed an Amended Master Complaint, which states that “[allegations pled herein are deemed pled in any previously-filed case pending in this Court, and in all future related cases adopting this Master Complaint,3 and Plaintiff-specific allegations in individual Complaints already filed of record are incorporated herein- by reference.” (ECF No. 52-1 at 2). Plaintiffs’ claims are based upon their allegations that Defendants improperly and illegally promoted and sold the Infuse® Bone Graft/LT-Cage® Lumbar Tampered Fusion Device (“Infuse®”) in an off-label manner, which caused numerous harmful and painful effects on Plaintiffs. In order to lay a proper foundation for the analysis of Plaintiffs’ claims, the Court finds it necessary to give a history of the Infuse® device and expound upon Plaintiffs’ claims.

B. Background on Medical Device Classification and the PMA Process

Prior to the enactment of the Medical Device Amendments of 1976 (“MDA”) to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act of 1938 (“FDCA”), states individually were left to regulate medical devices. Perez v. Nidek Co., 711 F.3d 1109, 1117 (9th Cir.2013). Now, Congress has “swept back some state obligations and imposed a regime of detailed federal oversight.” Riegel v. Medtronic, Inc., 552 U.S. 312, 316, 128 S.Ct. 999, 169 L.Ed.2d 892 (2008). A medical device must go through a “ ‘rigorous process’ ”, in which the “manufacturer must submit detailed studies and investigations of the device’s safety and effectiveness, and a full description of the device’s components and how it may be used.” Houston v. Medtronic, Inc., 957 F.Supp.2d 1166, 1173 (C.D.Cal.2013) (citing Riegel, 552 U.S. at 316-18, 128 S.Ct. 999).

The MDA imposes this oversight and regulates state obligations on medical devices by classifying devices into three categories. See 21 U.S.C. § 360c. Class I devices are subject to the lowest oversight under 21 U.S.C. § 360c(l)(A); Class II devices are subject to special controls under 21 U.S.C. § 360c(l)(B), such as the § 510(k) process of 21 U.S.C. § 360(k); and Class III devices are subject to the premarket approval and the highest federal oversight under 21 U.S.C. § 360c(l)(C). Class III medical devices are classified as such because,

(i) [I]t (I) cannot be classified as a class I device because insufficient information exists to determine that the application of general controls are sufficient to provide reasonable assurance of the safety and effectiveness of the device, and (II) cannot be classified as a class II device because insufficient information exists to determine that the special controls described in [21 U.S.C. § 360c(l)(B) ] would provide reasonable assurance of its safety and effectiveness, and
[851]*851(ii) (I) is purported or represented to be for a use in supporting or sustaining human life or for a use which is of substantial important in preventing impairment of human health, or (II) presents a potential unreasonable risk of illness or injury, is to be subject, in accordance with section 515 [21 U.S.C. § 360e], to premarket approval to provide reasonable assurance of its safety and effectiveness.

21 U.S.C. § 360c(l)(C).

Class III medical devices that are “substantially equivalent” to Class III devices previously introduced into the market may not undergo the PMA review. Instead, these “substantially equivalent” Class III devices and all new Class I and Class II devices are subject to the less rigorous § 510(k). process, pursuant to 21 U.S.C. § 360(k). See Medtronic, Inc. v. Lohr, 518 U.S. 470, 478-79, 116 S.Ct. 2240, 135 L.Ed.2d 700 (1996). The § 510(k) process is how the majority of new devices, specifically Class III devices, enter the market.4 See Riegel, 552 U.S. at 317, 128 S.Ct. 999. Unlike the PMA process, which requires nearly 1,200 hours for review of an application, “the § 510(k) review is completed in an average of only 20 hours” and is “by no means comparable to the PMA process.” Lohr, 518 U.S.

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Bluebook (online)
99 F. Supp. 3d 844, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 51011, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hafer-v-medtronic-inc-tnwd-2015.