Rowe v. Mentor Worldwide, LLC

297 F. Supp. 3d 1288
CourtDistrict Court, M.D. Florida
DecidedMarch 2, 2018
DocketCase No: 8:17–cv–2438–T–30CPT
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 297 F. Supp. 3d 1288 (Rowe v. Mentor Worldwide, LLC) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, M.D. Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Rowe v. Mentor Worldwide, LLC, 297 F. Supp. 3d 1288 (M.D. Fla. 2018).

Opinion

JAMES S. MOODY, JR., UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

In 2015, Plaintiff Colleen Rowe had breast augmentation surgery using Defendant Mentor Worldwide, LLC's MemoryGel Silicone Gel Breast Implants ("MemoryGel Implants"). The left MemoryGel Implant failed, and was replaced seven months later. Now Rowe is suing Mentor for negligence, strict liability, and breach of implied warranty. The Court concludes all but one of the claims must be dismissed because they are preempted or are otherwise unavailable to Rowe.

BACKGROUND

Mentor designs, manufactures, tests, and distributes MemoryGel Implants for use in breast augmentation surgeries. (Doc. 1, ¶ 55). The MemoryGel Implants are a Class III device under the Medical Device Amendments ("MDA") to the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act ("FDCA"), and require premarket approval ("PMA") from the Food & Drug Administration ("FDA"). (Doc. 1, ¶¶ 6-7, 10). Mentor filed a PMA application for the MemoryGel Implants in December 2003. (Doc. 1, ¶ 56). The FDA provided the PMA in November 2006, allowing Mentor to market the MemoryGel Implants. (Doc. 1, ¶ 57). A condition of the PMA required Mentor to conduct six post-approval studies regarding the long-term safety and effectiveness of the MemoryGel Implants. (Doc. 1, ¶¶ 58-87).

Plaintiff Rowe had breast augmentation surgery on April 2, 2015, and was implanted with MemoryGel Implants. (Doc. 1, ¶ 125). Nearly seven months later, Rowe began experiencing pain and limited functionality in her left arm. (Doc. 1, ¶ 127). Rowe also experienced "extreme and chronic fatigue, anxiety, depression, muscle pain, muscle weakness, muscle cramps, nausea, bone pain, swelling [in] her joints, stiffness in her joints, irritability, shortness of breath, signs of silicone toxicity, and weight gain." (Doc. 1, ¶ 127). On November 6, 2015, Rowe underwent a second surgery that revealed the left MemoryGel Implant had ruptured. (Doc. 1, ¶ 129). Her *1292surgeon removed the ruptured MemoryGel Implant and replaced it. (Doc. 1, ¶ 129).

Despite replacement of the ruptured MemoryGel Implant, Rowe continued to experience "pain, discomfort, swelling and soreness to her left side at the surgical site...." (Doc. 1, ¶ 131). Rowe also continued to experience "extreme and chronic fatigue, anxiety, depression, joint pain, joint stiffness, irritability, weight gain, shortness of breath, muscle cramps, muscle weakness, nausea and other ailments." (Doc. 1, ¶ 132).

In December 2015, Rowe's surgeon recommended a third surgery conditioned on Rowe signing a release and hold harmless agreement in favor of Defendant Mentor. (Doc. 1, ¶ 133). Rowe has not yet undergone that surgery, but says she intends to have her MemoryGel Implants removed. (Doc. 1, ¶ 139).

Now Rowe is suing Mentor for negligence, strict liability, and breach of implied warranty. (Doc. 1). Rowe alleges generally that Mentor failed to properly conduct the post-approval studies, and failed to warn consumers and physicians about known risks associated with the MemoryGel Implants. Rowe also alleges that her MemoryGel Implant was somehow defective. Finally, Rowe alleges that the MemoryGel Implant was not of merchantable quality, nor reasonably fit for its intended purposes.

MOTION TO DISMISS STANDARD

Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6) allows a complaint to be dismissed for failure to state a claim on which relief can be granted. When reviewing a motion to dismiss, courts must limit their consideration to the well-pleaded allegations, documents central to or referred to in the complaint, and matters judicially noticed. See La Grasta v. First Union Securities, Inc. , 358 F.3d 840, 845 (11th Cir. 2004) (internal citations omitted); Day v. Taylor , 400 F.3d 1272, 1276 (11th Cir. 2005). Furthermore, they must accept all factual allegations contained in the complaint as true, and view the facts in a light most favorable to the plaintiff. See Erickson v. Pardus , 551 U.S. 89, 93-94, 127 S.Ct. 2197, 167 L.Ed.2d 1081 (2007).

Legal conclusions, though, "are not entitled to the assumption of truth." Ashcroft v. Iqbal , 556 U.S. 662, 664, 129 S.Ct. 1937, 173 L.Ed.2d 868 (2009). In fact, "conclusory allegations, unwarranted factual deductions or legal conclusions masquerading as facts will not prevent dismissal." Davila v. Delta Air Lines, Inc. , 326 F.3d 1183, 1185 (11th Cir. 2003). To survive a motion to dismiss, a complaint must instead contain sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to "state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face." Iqbal , 556 U.S. at 678, 129 S.Ct. 1937 (internal quotation marks and citations omitted). This plausibility standard is met when the plaintiff pleads enough factual content to allow the court "to draw the reasonable inference that the defendant is liable for the misconduct alleged." Id. (internal citations omitted).

DISCUSSION

Mentor seeks dismissal of the Complaint on multiple grounds, but primarily based on Rowe's claims being expressly and impliedly preempted. (Doc. 11). The Court agrees, except as to Rowe's negligent manufacturing defect claim. So all of Rowe's claims will be dismissed except that one.

But first the Court will address a growing plague on the justice system, which has wreaked havoc in this case and numerous others: poorly drafted pleadings. Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 8 requires claims and defenses to be pleaded in "short and plain" statements. Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a)(2), (b)(1)(A).

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Bluebook (online)
297 F. Supp. 3d 1288, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/rowe-v-mentor-worldwide-llc-flmd-2018.