Pinsonneault v. St. Jude Medical, Inc.

953 F. Supp. 2d 1006, 2013 WL 3717780
CourtDistrict Court, D. Minnesota
DecidedJune 18, 2013
DocketCivil Nos. 12-1717, 12-1785, 12-2396 (PJS/JSM)
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 953 F. Supp. 2d 1006 (Pinsonneault v. St. Jude Medical, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Minnesota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Pinsonneault v. St. Jude Medical, Inc., 953 F. Supp. 2d 1006, 2013 WL 3717780 (mnd 2013).

Opinion

[1008]*1008ORDER

JANIE S. MAYERON, United States Magistrate Judge.

The above matters came on before the undersigned in Civil No. 12-1717 (PJS/JSM) upon Plaintiffs Motion to Amend Complaint [Docket No. 48]; in Civil No. 12-1785 (PJS/JSM) upon Plaintiffs Motion to Amend Complaint [Docket No. 30]; and in Civil No. 12-2396 (PJS/JSM) upon, Plaintiffs Motion to Amend Complaint [Docket No. 29],

Daniel E. Gustafson, Esq., Yvonne M. Flaherty, Esq. and Amanda M. Williams, Esq. appeared on behalf of plaintiffs Richard J. Pinsonneault and Gary Rouse; Genevieve M. Zimmerman, Esq. appeared on behalf of plaintiff Joseph D. Houlette; and Andrew E. Tauber, Esq., Rebecca K. Wood, Esq., and Blake Shepard, Jr., Esq. appeared on behalf of defendants St. Jude Medical, Inc. and Pacesetter, Inc.

The Court, being duly advised in the premises, upon all of the files, records, and proceedings herein, and for the reasons stated on the record at the hearing and the Memorandum below, now makes and enters the following Order.

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that:

1. Plaintiffs’ Motions to Amend Complaint [Civil No. 12-1717 (PJS/JSM) Docket No. 48], [Civil No. 12-1785 (PJS/JSM) Docket No. 30], and [Civil No. 12-2396 (PJS/JSM) Docket No. 29] are GRANTED as it relates to the additional factual allegations and changes to existing factual allegations set forth in the proposed First Amended Complaint, and DENIED as it relates to proposed Counts V and VI.

2. Plaintiffs shall serve and file their First Amended Complaints, consistent with this Order, on or before June 24, 2012.

3. Defendants shall respond to the First Amended Complaints in a manner that is consistent with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.

MEMORANDUM

I. FACTUAL BACKGROUND

Plaintiffs Richard J. Pinsonneault, Joseph D. Houlette, and Gary Rouse (collectively referred to herein as “plaintiffs”) commenced individual actions against St. Jude Medical, Inc. and Pacesetter, Inc. (collectively referenced as “St. Jude”) claiming injury as a result of alleged defects in the Riata leads manufactured and distributed by St. Jude, which are attached to medical devices used to treat heart conditions, including implantable cardiac defibrillators. See Complaint, ¶¶ 1-2, 8-11 [Docket No. I].1 Plaintiffs were implanted with a Riata lead, which allegedly ultimately failed and injured them. Id., ¶¶ 6, 7. The alleged defects pertaining to the Riata leads include among several claimed defects, the increased risk of abrasion of the lead wires or electrical conductors, causing the lead wires to protrude through the insulation and preventing proper functioning of the medical devices. Id., ¶¶ 35-37.

On December 15, 2010, St. Jude published a “Dear Doctor” letter, regarding various Riata lead models, indicating an insulation abrasion rate of 0.47% over nine years of use. Id., ¶¶ 42, 43. No voluntary recall was issued at this time. Id., ¶45. On November 28, 2011, St. Jude issued a second “Dear Doctor Letter,” advising that it had increased the insulation abrasion rate from its 2010 rate of 0.47% to 0.63%. Id., [1009]*1009¶ 47. No voluntary recall was issued at this time. Id.

On December 21, 2011, the FDA issued a Class I Recall of the Riata leads. A Class I Recall is defined as a situation in which there is a reasonable probability that the use of or exposure to a product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death. Id., ¶¶ 48, 49. Specifically, the issue involved failures associated with lead insulation abrasion on the St. Jude Riata and Riata ST Silicone Endocardial Defibrillation leads. Id., ¶ 50.

Plaintiffs asserted a claim of strict liability based on allegations that the Riata leads contain a manufacturing defect because the actual manufacture of the leads differed from the specifications set forth in the pre-market approval application (“PMA”) that was submitted to the FDA and the conditions for approval set by the FDA. Id., ¶¶ 59-62. In addition, plaintiffs asserted a claim for negligence in manufacturing. The basis of this claim was that St. Jude breached its duty to manufacture the Riata leads consistent with the PMA and the Conditions of Approval, which led to their injuries. Id., ¶¶ 65, 66. Further, plaintiffs claimed that St. Jude is culpable under theories of negligence per se based on its alleged failure to abide by applicable Federal Regulations, and under res ipsa loquitur. Id., ¶¶ 67-78.

Plaintiffs’ are now seeking to amend the Complaint to add the following claims for relief against St. Jude:

COUNT V
NEGLIGENCE — FAILURE TO WARN
94. Plaintiff hereby incorporates by reference all preceding paragraphs as if fully set forth herein.
95. Defendants have a duty to provide ongoing warnings and instructions regarding safety hazards associated with the Leads.
96. Defendants breached this duty by failing to, inter alia, provide timely and adequate reports regarding safety hazards and/or potential defects associated with the Leads.
97. Defendants also breached this duty by failing to conduct adequate risk analyses, tests, and investigations regarding safety hazards and/or potential defects associated with the Leads.
98. As a direct and proximate result of Defendants’ negligence, Plaintiff was injured as described herein.
COUNT VI
BREACH OF EXPRESS WARRANTY
99. Plaintiff hereby incorporates by reference all preceding paragraphs as if fully set forth herein.
100. Defendants expressly warranted to Plaintiff by and through Defendants and/or their authorized agents or sales representatives, in publications, package inserts, the internet, and other communications intended for physicians, medical patients, and the general public, that the Leads were safe, effective, fit and proper for their intended use.
101. In allowing the implantation of the Leads, Plaintiff and his physicians relied on the skill, judgment, representations, and express warranties of Defendants. These warranties and representations were false in that the Leads were not safe and were unfit for the uses for which they were intended.
102. Through sale of the Leads, Defendants are merchants pursuant to Section 2-314 of the Uniform Commercial Code.
103. Defendants breached their warranty of the mechanical soundness of the [1010]*1010Leads by continuing sales and marketing campaigns highlighting the safety of its product, while it knew of the defects and risk of product failure.
104.

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Bluebook (online)
953 F. Supp. 2d 1006, 2013 WL 3717780, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/pinsonneault-v-st-jude-medical-inc-mnd-2013.