Teixeria v. St. Jude Medical S.C., Inc.

193 F. Supp. 3d 218, 2016 WL 3547932, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 85525
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. New York
DecidedJune 30, 2016
DocketNo. 1:14-cv-00789-MAT-HBS
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 193 F. Supp. 3d 218 (Teixeria v. St. Jude Medical S.C., Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Teixeria v. St. Jude Medical S.C., Inc., 193 F. Supp. 3d 218, 2016 WL 3547932, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 85525 (W.D.N.Y. 2016).

Opinion

DECISION AND ORDER

HON. MICHAEL A. TELESCA, United States District Judge

INTRODUCTION

Represented by counsel, John J. Teixe-ria (“Téixeria” or “Plaintiff’) instituted this [221]*221product liability action in New York State Supreme Court (Erie County) against St. Jude Medical S.C., Inc., St. Jude Medical, Inc., and Pacesetter, Inc., d/b/a St. Jude Medical Cardiac Rhythm Management Division (collectively, “Defendants” or “St. Jude”). Defendants removed the matter to this Court on September 17, 2014, and subsequently filed a Motion to Dismiss or in the Alternative for Summary Judgment (Dkt #4), a Motion to Dismiss for Failure to State a Claim (Dkt #16) (“Motion to Dismiss”) and a Motion for Sanctions and to Strike Amended Complaint (Dkt #18) (“Motion to Strike”). On July 15, 2015, Magistrate Judge Hugh B. Scott issued a Report and Recommendation (“Report”) (Dkt #26) on the Motion to Dismiss and the Motion to Strike. With regard to the Motion to Dismiss, Magistrate Judge Scott recommended (1) allowing the first cause of action based on strict liability for a manufacturing defect to proceed; (2) allowing the second cause of action for negligent manufacturing to proceed; (3) dismissing the third and fourth causes of action for failure-to-warn claims based on negligence and strict liability in their entirety;' (4) dismissing the fifth cause of action for negligent representation based on St. Jude’s failure to provide Plaintiff, his doctors, and the FDA with accurate information about the reliability and safety of the Durata lead; (5) dismissing the claim for breach of implied warranty asserted in the sixth cause of action, to the extent that Teixeira alleges anything other than a deviation from FDA standards that equates to a lack of fitness for intended purposes; (6) dismissing the claim for breach of express warranty asserted in the sixth cause of action, with respect to any allegations other than explicit, personal representations by St. Jude; and (7) denying the motion in all other respects. Magistrate Judge Scott denied the Motion for Sanctions ■ and to Strike the Amended Complaint in its entirety, without prejudice to future motions that may be required to address allegations maintained despite pretrial discovery to the contrary. See Report, pp. 35-36.

Defendants filed partial Objections (Dkt #27) to the Report and Recommendation, and Plaintiff filed a Reply/Response (Dkt #28) to Defendants’ objections, to which Defendants filed a Reply/Response (Dkt #30). The matter was transferred to the undersigned on May 6, 2016 (Dkt #48).

FACTUAL BACKGROUND

The underlying facts are set out comprehensively in the Report. Briefly, however, Teixeira had surgery on September- 6, 2011, to place an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (“ICD”) (Durata Model CD1231-40Q) and lead (Durata Model 7121Q/65),1 which were designed, manufactured, and sold by St. Jude.2 On Septem[222]*222ber 20, 2011, Teixeria underwent a second surgery to replace the lead for reasons not articulated in the Amended Complaint. Although the Amended Complaint contains no allegations indicating that anyone has ever examined the Durata device that was explanted and replaced, Plaintiff theorizes that the lead insulation became abraded in situ and resulted in an “externalization” of the lead, i.e., the lead wires began protruding through the insulation. According to Plaintiff, this caused the wires to come into .contact with bodily substances that prevented the ICD from functioning properly. Defendants argue that Plaintiffs theory is based on issues that occurred with a different model of lead, the Riata, a predecessor to the Durata that differs from it in several respects. Moreover, Defendants contend, when “externalization” has occurred, it has been many months, if not years, after implantation of the device. Therefore, Defendants argue, externalization could hot have happened here, since Plaintiff had his device replaced only 14 days after implantation. Defendants urge dismissal of the Amended Complaint, asserting that Plaintiff has failed to allege a violation of federal requirements specific to the Dura-ta lead and has failed to plausibly allege a causal link between any alleged violation of federal law and his purported injuries.

GENERAL LEGAL PRINCIPLES

I. Review of Reports and Recommendations

Where no objection is made to a report and recommendation, or the parties make frivolous, conclusive, or general objections, only “clear error” review is required by the district court. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 72(b), Advisory Comm. Notes (1983); Camardo v. General Motors Hourly-Rate Employees Pension Plan, 806 F.Supp. 380, 382 (W.D.N.Y.1992)). In such case, the district court “need only satisfy itself that there is no clear error on the face of the record in order to accept the recommendation,” Fed. R. Civ. P. 72(b), Advisory Comm. Notes (1983).

However, a district court must review de novo those portions of the magistrate judge’s findings and recommendations to which a party has made specific and timely . objections. See 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1)(C); Fed. R. Civ. P. 72(b). The de novo standard requires that the district court “ ‘give fresh consideration to those issues to which specific objections have been made’ ” and “examine the entire record,” and “makfing] an independent assessment of the magistrate, judge’s factual and legal conclusions.” United States v. Raddatz, 447 U.S. 667, 675, 100 S.Ct. 2406, 65 L.Ed.2d 424 (1980) (quoting legislative history). After conducting the appropriate review, the district judge may “accept, reject, or modify, in whole or in part, the findings or recommendations made by the magistrate judge.” 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1)(C).

II. Rule 12(b)(6) Motions to Dismiss

When deciding motions to dismiss under Rule 12(b)(6), the court must apply a “plausibility standard,” guided by “[t]wo working principles,” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678, 129 S.Ct. 1937, 173 L.Ed.2d 868 (2009). First, although the court must accept all factual allegations as true, this tenet is “inapplicable to legal conclusions[.]” Id. Second, only complaints that state a “plausible claim for relief’ can sur[223]*223vive a Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss. Id. at 679, 129 S.Ct. 1937. A plaintiff must provide “factual content that allows the court to draw the reasonable inference that the defendant is liable for the misconduct alleged[,]” a standard that requires “more than a sheer possibility that a defendant has acted unlawfully.” Id. at 678, 129 S.Ct. 1937. If the plaintiff has not “nudged [his] claims across the line from conceivable to plausible,” they “must be dismissed.” Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 570, 127 S.Ct. 1955, 167 L.Ed.2d 929 (2007); accord Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 669, 129 S.Ct. 1937.

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Bluebook (online)
193 F. Supp. 3d 218, 2016 WL 3547932, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 85525, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/teixeria-v-st-jude-medical-sc-inc-nywd-2016.