When it comes to lawsuits involving pharmaceuticals and medical device companies, the figures are often massive. This Thursday was no exception, when Medtronic, the world’s largest medical device maker, settled all of its lawsuits involving their Sprint Fidelis Defibrillator leads. The cost to put an end to a lawsuit that arose over their malfunction, which led to as many as 13 deaths: a cool $268 million. As is common, Medtronic did not admit any liability in the settlement.

Still, the peace of mind that sum of money has to provide for Medtronic’s executives and attorneys likely makes it a bargain in their eyes. Medtronic recalled its Sprint Fidelis defibrillation leads three years ago, taking the wires off the market in October 2007. The wires had a defect that caused some of them to crack, which in turn sent electric shock to patients that didn’t need it in some cases, and failed to deliver shocks when they were needed in other cases.

Medtronic will now move to dismiss all Spring Fidelis cases in the U.S. “Both the plaintiffs and Medtronic realized this was the best resolution for people injured by these wires,” Hunter Shkolnik, a New York-based lawyer for injured defibrillator users, said in a interview with Bloomberg.

Related Resources:

  • $152.5 Million Settlement in Novartis Gender Discrimination Suit (FindLaw’s Decided)
  • $250 Million Plus: Novartis Liable in Sex Discrimination Suit (FindLaw’s Decided)
  • Ohio Man Freed by DNA Evidence After 29 Years in Prison (FindLaw’s Blotter)
  • Drugs and Medical Devices Information Center (provided by James F. Humphreys & Associates, L.C.)
  • DePuy Recalls the Defective ASR Hip Implant (provided by Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger)

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