A Minnesota federal court is deferring a series of lawsuits against a medical device maker over defibrillator products to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
A judge in St. Paul has dismissed patient lawsuits against Fridley, Minn.-based Medtronic in connection with a recall of the company's Sprint Fidelis defibrillator in 2007.
The massive recall stemmed from the discovery that the leads, the wires connecting a defibrillator to a patient's heart, had broken in some situations, unnecessarily delivering painful shocks to patients.
Judge Richard Kyle decided “the Court recognizes that at least some plaintiffs have suffered injuries from using Sprint Fidelis leads, and the Court is not unsympathetic to their plight."
But Kyle dismissed the case, saying his court nor any other has authority to preempt a federal law.
In a statement, Medtronics chairman and chief executive officer Bill Hawkins said the company is pleased with the ruling.