Wildman v. Medtronic, Inc.

221 F. Supp. 3d 804, 2016 WL 7468232, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 181412
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Texas
DecidedDecember 22, 2016
DocketNo. 5:16-CV-663-DAE
StatusPublished

This text of 221 F. Supp. 3d 804 (Wildman v. Medtronic, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Wildman v. Medtronic, Inc., 221 F. Supp. 3d 804, 2016 WL 7468232, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 181412 (W.D. Tex. 2016).

Opinion

ORDER GRANTING DEFENDANTS’ MOTION FOR JUDGMENT ON THE PLEADINGS

DAVID ALAN EZRA, UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

Before the Court is a Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings filed by Medtronic, Inc. and Medtronic USA, Inc. (collectively, “Defendants” or “Medtronic”) on October 14, 2016. (Dkt. # 18.) Ray Wildman (“Plaintiff’ or “Wildman”) filed a Response in opposition (Dkt. #23), and Defendants filed a Reply (Dkt. # 25). Pursuant to Local Rule CV-7(h), the Court finds this matter suitable for disposition without a hearing.

After careful consideration of the memo-randa filed in support of and in opposition to the motion, the Court — for the reasons that follow — GRANTS Defendants’ Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings (Dkt. #18).

BACKGROUND

Wildman is an individual who suffers from chronic back and bilateral leg pain. (“Am. Compl.,” Dkt. # 9, ¶ 6). He alleges that Medtronic “marketed, warranted, and sold the RestoreUltra spinal neurostimulator ... as a device that would help relieve pain without medications.” (Id.) The Resto-reUltra spinal neurostimulator (“the Res-toreUltra” or “device”) is a prescription-only Class III implanted medical device. (Dkt. # 18 at 2.) The RestoreUltra is a surgically placed device, “about the size of a stopwatch,” which provides pain relief by blocking pain messages from the spinal cord before they reach the patient’s brain. (Am. Compl. ¶ 7.) The device delivers mild electrical signals to the epidural space near the spine through thin wires that provide electrical impulses to plastic leads, the latter of which are placed by surgeons into the spinal canal. (Id.) The patient feels [807]*807tingling sensations instead of pain, and he can turn the device on or off — and sometimes, can change preset programs — to obtain, the desired level of pain relief. (Dkt. #18 at 4-5.)

On September 80, 2011, Wildman was implanted with a trial spinal cord stimulator. (Am. Compl. ¶ 6; “Ans.,” Dkt. # 11, ¶ 6; Dkt. # 18 at 8-9.) On November 11, 2011, Wildman was implanted with a permanent RestoreUltra by Dr. Wilson Velasquez at Christus Spohn Hospital in Corpus Christi, Texas. (Am. Compl. ¶ 6; Ans. ¶ 6; Dkt. # 18 at 9.) Wildman alleges that the RestoreUltra that was implanted “had a reliable device life span of nine years” because of the “express warranty” stating as much on Medtronic’s website. (Am. Compl. ¶¶ 8-9.) To support this allegation of the device’s nine-year warranty, Wild-man points to a screenshot of the following undated language from Medtronic’s website (hereafter, “the Statement”):

9-Year Device Life
While other manufacturers may state that their batteries have a longevity greater than 9 years, it’s important to understand that many other factors and components are involved in determining the overall longevity of an implanted medical device. The result of extensive design and testing involved in manufacturing rechargeable neurostimulators give Medtronic the confidence that our device is reliable for 9 years.
To achieve this distinction, Medtronic rigorously verified and validated the many components that impact device longevity, not just the battery. The result is a rechargeable neurostimulator that delivers reliable performance over the entire period of predicted service. Medtronic is the only company to offer a Neuromodulation Product Performance Report.

(Id. ¶ 8.) Wildman claims he relied on this nine-year express warranty in deciding whether to purchase the RestoreUltra and have it implanted. (Id. ¶ 9.) He also alleges that this warranty language in the Statement was “never reviewed by or submitted to the FDA for approval.” (Id.)

A year-and-a-half after the RestoreUltra was implanted, Wildman alleges that the device began to “malfunction,” and that Medtronic’s representatives were notified and attended some of his medical appointments. (ML ¶ 10.) On November 12, 2013, Wildman was referred to Dr. Maged Mina (“Dr. Mina”) to consider replacing the Res-toreUltra because the device had “quit working altogether.” (Id.) Wildman alleges that, “[d]ue to the device’s failure, Defendants recommended that the device be removed.” (Am. Compl. ¶ 11.) According to Wildman, Dr. Mina’s office records from February 17, 2015 indicate that “the entire device was dead.” (Id.)

On March 19, 2015, Dr. Mina surgically extracted the RestoreUltra from Wild-man’s body. (Id. ¶ 12; Ans. ¶ 12.) Wildman alleges that the device-removal site became infected after the staples were removed, and that for seven to ten days afterwards, the wound site was “excessively draining liquid and [] very painful.” (Am. Compl. ¶ 12.) As a result of the infection, on April 8, 2015, Wildman went to Northeast Methodist Hospital in Live Oak, Texas, where doctors found an abscess had formed. (Id. ¶ 13.) He was transferred to St. Luke’s Baptist Hospital on April 10, 2015 for surgery consultation, and on April 16, 2015, the abscess was drained by Dr. Jean-Louis Caron. (Id.) Wildman was discharged on April 20, 2015, and he maintains that — because of the “multiple surgeries caused by the defective device” — he could not work from March 2015 until July 2015. (Id.)

Wildman initiated the present suit against Medtronic in state court, but Med-tronic properly removed to this Court on [808]*808July 1, 2016. (Dkt. # 1.) On August 2, 2016, Wildman filed an amended complaint. (Am. Compl.) Wildman asserts a sole cause of action for breach of express warranty. (Id. at 4-5.) He maintains that, because Med-tronic had marketed the RestoreUltra “would work reliably for nine years,” Med-tronic breached the express nine-year warranty of its product’s “device life” since the RestoreUltra stopped working within two years of being implanted. (Id. ¶¶ 15-17.) Wildman also alleges that the warranty was not reviewed or approved by the FDA. (Id. ¶ 15.) Plaintiff seeks (1) actual and consequential damages for, inter alia, pain and mental anguish, medical treatment incurred, and lost wages, (2) pre- and post-judgment interest, and (3) attorneys’ fees. (Id. ¶ 22.)

On August 15, 2015, Medtronic filed its answer and affirmative defenses. (Ans.) On October 14, 2016, Medtronic filed the instant Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings with attached exhibits. (Dkt. # 18). Wildman filed his Response on October 28, 2016 (Dkt. #23), and Medtronic filed its Reply on November 4, 2016 (Dkt. #25).

LEGAL STANDARD

I. Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings under Rule 12(c)

After the pleadings are closed — but early enough not to delay trial — a party may move for judgment on the pleadings under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(c). A Rule 12(c) motion is “designed to dispose of cases where the material facts are not in dispute and a judgment on the merits can be rendered by looking to the substance of the pleadings and any judicially noticed facts.” Hebert Abstract Co., Inc. v. Touchstone Props., Ltd., 914 F.2d 74, 76 (5th Cir. 1990) (internal citations omitted). Thus, a Rule 12(c) motion 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. Gen. Mills Fun Grp., Inc., 478 F.2d 254, 256 (5th Cir.

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Bluebook (online)
221 F. Supp. 3d 804, 2016 WL 7468232, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 181412, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wildman-v-medtronic-inc-txwd-2016.