Morgan v. Medtronic, Inc.

172 F. Supp. 3d 959, 2016 WL 1162400
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Texas
DecidedMarch 23, 2016
DocketCIVIL ACTION NO. 3:15-CV-32
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 172 F. Supp. 3d 959 (Morgan v. Medtronic, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Morgan v. Medtronic, Inc., 172 F. Supp. 3d 959, 2016 WL 1162400 (S.D. Tex. 2016).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

GEORGE C. HANKS, JR., UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

Pending before the Court is Defendant Medtronic, Inc.’s (“Medtronic”), Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings (“12(c) Motion”) pursuant to Rule 12(c) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (Dkt.5). For the reasons explained below,. the Court finds that Medtronic’s 12(c) Motion should be GRANTED in its entirety. Accordingly, Plaintiff Ronnie Morgan’s (“Morgan”) claims are DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE.

FACTUAL BACKGROUND

In this products liability lawsuit, Morgan ■ asserts Texas state-law claims .for negligence, strict liability, and breach of warranties against Medtronic.1 See Original [962]*962Petition (“Or.Pet.”)> Dkt. # 1-1 at 4-14.3 Morgan alleges that the SynchroMed II Implantable Infusion System (the “Syn-chroMed II Pump”) was surgically implanted beneath his skin to deliver medication (i.e., morphine sulfate or baclofen).

Morgan alleges that, sometime before October 2013, a SynchroMed II Pump-was implanted to address his chronic pain. Or. Pet., Dkt. 1-1, ¶ 6. Morgan was admitted to Clear Lake Regional Medical Center with symptoms consistent with drug withdrawal. Id. at ¶7. Morgan alleges that his pump malfunctioned by failing to provide a warning “that the pump no longer had morphine in it,” and as a result, “[Morgan] unknowingly went through morphine withdrawal symptoms.” Id. at ¶¶ 8-9. A week later, Morgan’s SynchroMed II Pump was removed and replaced. Id. at ¶ 10. Morgan contends that he suffered “permanent injuries and damages” as a result of these events. Id. at ¶ 11.

PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

Morgan filed suit in state court on January 15, '2015, asserting seven state-law causes of action:- (1) negligence (Or.Pet., Dkt.1-1, ¶¶ 12-17); (2) “strict product liability-design defect” (id. at ¶¶ 18-23); (3) “strict-product liability — failure to warn” (id, at ¶¶ 24-29); (4) “strict products liability-manufacturing defect” (id. at ¶¶30-34); (5) breach of express warranty (id. at ¶¶ 35-39); (6) breach of implied warranty of merchantability (id. at ¶¶ 40-45); and (7) breach of implied warranty of fitness for a particular purpose (id. at ¶¶ 46-51). Medtronic answered in state court, raising various affirmative defenses (including the defense of federal preemption), and then removed the case to this Court. See Dkt. 1; Original Answer, Dkt. 1-1 at 19-30.

Medtronic has filed a 12(c) Motion arguing that because the SynchroMed II Pump is a Class III PMA device and the affirmative defense of federal preemption is purely a legal matter that can be decided on the pleadings. See 21 U.S.C. §§ 360k(a), 337(a). Additionally, Medtronic argues that Morgan’s failure to provide pre-suit notice to Medtronic as required by Tex. Bus. &. Com. Code § 2.607(c)(1) bars his warranty claims as a matter of law. For the reasons detailed below, the Court agrees.

MOTION FOR JUDGMENT ON THE PLEADINGS

A motion brought pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(c) should be granted if there is no issue of material fact and if the pleadings show that the moving party is entitled, to judgment as a matter of law. Greenberg v. General Mills Fun Group, Inc., 478 F.2d 254, 256 (5th Cir.1973). A motion for judgment on the pleadings is subject to the same standard as a motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim. See In re Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co. LLC, 624 F.3d 201, 209, (5th Cir.2010); Guidry v. American Public Life Insurance Co., 512 F.3d 177, 180 (5th Cir.2007); Jones v. Greninger, 188 F.3d 322, 324 (5th Cir.1999) (per curiam).

The Court must accept the factual allegations of the complaint as true, view them in a light most favorable to the plaintiffs, and draw all reasonable inferences in the plaintiffs’ favor. Ramming v. United States, 281 F.3d 158, 161 (5th Cir.2001). “When a federal court reviews the sufficiency of a complaint, before the reception of any evidence either by affidavit or admissions, its task is necessarily a limited one. The issue is not whether a plaintiff [963]*963will ultimately prevail but whether the claimant is entitled to offer evidence- to support the claims.” Swierkiewicz v. Sorema N.A., 534 U.S. 506, 122 S.Ct. 992, 997, 152 L.Ed.2d 1 (2002).

To avoid dismissal, a plaintiff must allege “ ‘enough facts to state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.’” Doe v. MySpace, Inc., 528 F.3d 413, 418 (5th Cir.2008) (quoting Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 127 S.Ct. 1955, 1974, 167 L.Ed.2d 929 (2007)). Plausibility requires “more than an unadorned, the-defendant-unlawfully-harmed-me accusation.” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 129 S.Ct. 1937, 1949, 173 L.Ed.2d 868 (2009). “A claim- has facial plausibility when the plaintiff pleads factual content that allows the court to draw the reasonable inference that the defendant is liable for the misconduct alleged.” Id. “Where a complaint pleads facts that are merely' consistent with a defendant’s liability, it stops short of the line between possibility and plausibility of entitlement to relief.” Id. (quoting Twombly, 127 S.Ct. at 1966) (internal quotation marks omitted). The court will “not accept as true conclusory allegations, unwarranted factual inferences, or legal conclusions.” Gentilello v. Rege, 627 F.3d 540, 544 (5th Cir.2010). “[DJismissal is proper if the complaint lacks an allegation regarding a required element necessary to obtain relief.” Torch Liquidating Trust ex rel. Bridge Assocs. L.L.C. v. Stockstill, 561 F.3d 377, 384 (5th Cir.2009).

When considering a motion to dismiss, courts are generally “limited to the complaint, any documents attached to the complaint, and any documents attached to the motion tq dismiss that are central to the claim and referenced by the complaint.” Lone Star Fund V (U.S.), L.P. v. Barclays Bank PLC, 594 F.3d 383, 387 (5th Cir.2010) (citing Collins v. Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, 224 F.3d 496, 498-99 (5th Cir.2000)); see also C.H., II ex rel. L.H. v. Rankin Cnty. Sch. Dist., 415 Fed.Appx.

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Bluebook (online)
172 F. Supp. 3d 959, 2016 WL 1162400, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/morgan-v-medtronic-inc-txsd-2016.