Top Class Actions’s website and social media posts use affiliate links. If you make a purchase using such links, we may receive a commission, but it will not result in any additional charges to you. Please review our Affiliate Link Disclosure for more information.
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.
Don’t Miss Out!
Check out our list of Class Action Lawsuits and Class Action Settlements you may qualify to join!
Read About More Class Action Lawsuits & Class Action Settlements:
62 thoughts onMedtronic class action claims company failed to ensure quality, safety of defibrillators
I have a defibrilator from medtronic, I have pain my sight that radiates in my shoulder
How do I know it will work if I need it to!
Yes I’m part of the recall
My deceased husband had an ICD that caused tachycardia in 2018 through August 2019. It was finally taken out in August 2019 to find there was a faulty lead. He had a heart attack and his heart function was very low causing him to retire. In 2019 he had a new ICD implanted and he was in and out of several hospitals with very bad tachycardia shocking for many months. Not one cardiologist thought of looking at the ICD. They just kept readjusting it to stop the shocking. It was shocking so much the doc lost count and he was flown to a hospital 11 hrs away. In and out of 4 different hospitals for months. When his regular cardiologist came back to work after being gone all summer , he took out the device and found the defective lead. He lived for a little over 4 months then passed away on January 10, 2020. He was only 55 years old. I saw something about Medtronic and ended up here. We nor I never heard anything about a class action lawsuit regarding this ICD. Wondering if there was a lawsuit or if anything can be done about this defective ICD.
I have a Medtronic ICD implanted 02/2019 that is part of the recall . I was not informed of a recall I found out here ! However I did get a call from my cardiologist to go in to have some programming done to my ICD. I no longer feel confident in knowing I’m protected by my ICD .
I have Medtronic defibrillator implanted in 02/23. Was not notified about the recall. It’s very unsettling knowing I have this device in my body for nothing. It’s effecting my lifestyle, my mental health and yet I can’t trust it will do what it’s supposed to do. My device is listed on the FDA website as recalled. Would like someone to contact me.
In November 14 2022 my husband had a cardiac arrest and died. E had a Medtronic cardiac deffibulator inserted into his body in 2019. And the Medtronic cardiac deffibulator was recalled in may 2023. 6 months after he died. He received a letter from interior health addressed to my husband.
I. I
I have a Medtronic difibulator and have experienced a litany of heart issues as a result. Please include me.