Medtronic defibrillators class action overview:
- Who: A defibrillator consumer is suing Medtronic.
- Why: The plaintiff says the company was negligent, making some of its defibrillators with a defect that led to a major recall.
- Where: The Medtronic defibrillators class action lawsuit was filed in a Minnesota federal court.
Medtronic failed to ensure the quality and safety of a range of its defibrillators, leading to at least 22 customer injuries and a major recall, a new class action lawsuit alleges.
Plaintiff Terry Harris — who has one of the recalled defibrillators surgically implanted — filed the class action against Medtronic Inc. and Medtronic USA Inc. on Aug. 1 in a Minnesota federal court.
The case relates to a defibrillator defect that led to a Class I recall of more than 348,000 defibrillators in July.
A Class I recall is one in which use or exposure to the recalled devices may result in serious injury or death, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Medtronic recalled all of its implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) and cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillators (CRT-Ds) with a glassed feedthrough manufactured after 2017 as they can deliver low (or no) energy output when high voltage therapy is needed. In the recall, the company said the defective devices may “fail to correct a life-threatening arrhythmia, which can lead to cardiac arrest, other serious injury, or death.”
At the time, Medtronic had reported 28 incidents and 22 injuries in relation to the defect.
Medtronic should have known the devices were defective, lawsuit alleges
Harris says he bought a Medtronic Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator and had it implanted in 2018. As a result of the defect, Harris alleges, he suffered personal injury and is now at risk of additional extensive medical procedures in order to rectify the defective device.
“Defendants knew, or through the exercise of reasonable care should have known, that the Devices were defective,” the lawsuit alleges.
“Defendants’ unfair and violative conduct, as described herein, is intentional, and Defendants intended and presently intend for consumers to rely on its unfair and misleading practices.”
Harris seeks to represent anyone who purchased one of the recalled defibrillators, plus a Georgia subclass.
He is suing for breach of consumer laws, breach of warranty, breach of negligence laws and unjust enrichment and seeks certification of the class action, an order preventing the company from selling the devices, damages, fees, costs and a jury trial.
Are you affected by the Medtronic recall? Let us know in the comments.
The plaintiff is represented by Chad Alexander of Sieben Polk and Paul J. Doolittle and Blake G. Abbott of Poulin Willey Anastopoulo LLC.
The Medtronic class action lawsuit is Terry Harris v. Medtronic Inc., et al., Case No. 0:23-cv-02273 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota.
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80 thoughts onMedtronic class action claims company failed to ensure quality, safety of defibrillators
**EDIT**
My husband had a medtronic pacemaker/defibrillator implanted due to CHF with an EF of 5%. The first incident was a broken lead which required surgery to repair the unit, 2nd incident was another broken lead, when insurance company denied request to replace they “disabled” then “turned the unit off”. He got up to go into another room when the unit defribrillated him while he was standing, dropped him to the floor. Had to call 911. Horrible terrifying incident. So now he gas a useless ICD in his chest. I want him included in the lawsuit.
My husband had a medtronic pacemaker/defibrillator implanted due to CHF with an EF of 5%. The first incident was a broken lead which required surgery to repair the unit, 2nd incident was another broken lead, when insurance company denied request to replace they “disabled” then “turned the unit off”. He got up to go into another room when the unit defribrillated him while he was standing, dropped him to the floor. Had to call 911. Horrible terrifying incident. So now he gas a useless ICD in his chest. I want him included in the lawsuit.
My husband had a medtronic pacemaker/defibrillator implanted due to CHF with an EF of 5%. The first incident was a broken lead which required surgery to repair the unit, 2nd incident was another broken lead, when insurance company denied request to replace they “disabled” then “turned the unit off”. He got up to go into another room when the unit defribrillated him while he was standing, dropped him to the floor. Had to call 911. Horrible terrifying incident.
Yo tengo un cordón spinal d medtronic no resuelto,,,,m complicó mi condición que debo hacer,,, la para demanda colectiva o donde comunicar ,,,estoy en proceso para quitarme el dispositivo hablando con doctor por q no funciona español plis
In 2015 my defribulator didn’t fire , the battery went dead without warning 6 months earlier. I had a Cardiac Arrest in August 2015 as a result.
I had a pacemaker defliberlator implanted in 2021. In Feb 2022 I had openheart surgery replacing And repairing 3 heart valves. The Dr said it was a defective defliberlator and broken wire.
May father had a Medtronic Evera ICD. It failed to defibrillate 4 times within a 24 hour period of time. The hospital staff had to externally defibrillate his heart. He died as a result of the ICD’s failure. As the legal representative of my father’s estate, I want his estate to be included in the Class Action lawsuit.