Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C.

Unexpected and inappropriate shocks to the heart caused by a defective cardiac defibrillator caused one man to suffer such severe anxiety that he is now being treated by a psychiatrist for post traumatic stress, according to The Southeast Texas Record. The patient, Donald Larry Jackson, filed a product liability suit against Medtronic, the makers of the defective medical device, and is seeking claims of relief for product liability, breach of implied warranty, negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent infliction of emotional distress, violation of consumer protection statutes, breach of express warranties, unjust enrichment, battery, and negligent misrepresentation.

Read the rest of this entry »

Medical device maker Medtronic sent a letter to doctors worldwide earlier this month warning that nearly 37,000 of its Sigma and Kappa pacemakers, most manufactured between November 2000 and November 2002, could have faulty wiring that can cause the pacemakers to work improperly or not at all. This defect can be deadly for the estimated 1.7 million people who have pacemakers implanted in their chests.

Read the rest of this entry »

Beasley Allen Law Firm attorneys P. Leigh O’Dell and Ted G. Meadows filed a lawsuit on April 29, 2009, on behalf of Patrick M. Lancaster of Alabama, alleging that the plaintiff suffered injuries as a result of having been implanted with a Sprint Fidelis Lead manufactured by Medtronic, Inc. The lawsuit names defendants Medtronic Inc., Medtronic Puerto Rico, Inc., and Medtronic Puerto Rico Operations Co.

The complaint incorporates by reference the relevant portions of the Master Consolidated Complaint for Individuals on file with the Clerk of the Court for the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota in the matter In Re MEDTRONIC, INC., SPRINT FIDELIS LEAD PRODUCT LIABILITY LITIGATION.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has planned an internal meeting today to discuss the strategic direction of the agency’s medical device center, adding fuel to concerns that the government agency carelessly approved medical devices and as a result put patients’ health and safety at risk, according to the American Association for Justice (AAJ).

Read the rest of this entry »

People with Medtronic cardiac defibrillators implanted in their chests converged on Washington, D.C., this week to lobby for the passage of the Medical Device Safety Act. The act will allow consumers who have been hurt by defective medical devices to sue the device’s maker even if the devices have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Read the rest of this entry »

Medtronic Inc. has issued a letter to doctors stating that a defective lead wire in its popular heart defibrillator, which was recalled in October 2007, may have contributed to the deaths of 13 individuals in which the heart devices were implanted, according to the Star Tribune. That death toll is up from the medical device company’s original estimate two years ago of five deaths.

Read the rest of this entry »

The 2007 Medtronic Sprint Fidelis Defibrillator Lead Recall could just be the tip of the iceberg when it comes to defective implantable medical devices. That’s because the number of medical devices meant to be implanted in patients’ bodies is rapidly rising. Unfortunately, despite their rising numbers, as the case of the Sprint Fidelis Lead recall illustrates, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) is doing a poor job of regulating implantable devices, and often ignores reports of device failures until someone dies.

Read the rest of this entry »

Many patients implanted with defective Medtronic Sprint Fidelis Defibrillator Leads have found themselves in a medical limbo. If they are fortunate enough not to have already experienced a lead fracture, they must decide between two difficult choices, leave the Sprint Fidelis lead alone and hope it won’t fracture; or undergo a difficult and dangerous surgery to have the faulty lead replaced. Both options are bad ones, a fact that has left many Sprint Fidelis Lead patients anxious and confused.

Read the rest of this entry »

Medtronic Inc. knew that its Sprint Fidelis Defibrillator Leads were fracturing at higher-than-usual rates for months. Yet, the company appears to have dragged its feet in getting the defective Sprint Fidelis Lead off the market.

Read the rest of this entry »