Wis. Supreme Court tosses suit against Medtronic

Lawyer Blogs

The Wisconsin Supreme Court says patients cannot sue the makers of defective medical devices if they are approved for sale by federal regulators.

The court ruled against a man who had a defibrillator implanted and then removed after the manufacturer, Medtronic, Inc., warned its battery had a chance of failing.

The device had been approved for sale by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and was never recalled.

Joseph Blunt, Sr. of St. Francis filed a lawsuit against the company alleging negligence and other claims after he had surgery to remove the device.


The court says the lawsuit is barred by a federal law and by a U.S. Supreme Court decision last year that threw out a similar case against Minneapolis-based Medtronic.

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