Motley Rice attorney Fred Thompson appointed to Plaintiffs' Steering Committee in defective defibrillator lead MDL
Motley Rice LLC announces that Medical practice group leader Fred Thompson, III, has been appointed as a member of the Plaintiffs' Steering Committee (PSC) in the Medtronic, Inc., Sprint Fidelis® lead multidistrict litigation.
Thompson was appointed to the committee on May 28, 2008, by the honorable U.S. District Judge Richard H. Kyle and the honorable U.S. Magistrate Judge Janie S. Mayeron, who are presiding over the Sprint Fidelis® Lead MDL #08-1905 in U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota. As a part of the Plaintiffs' Steering Committee, Thompson is responsible for consultation and assistance with the coordination of all plaintiff cases and affairs in the Sprint Fidelis MDL.
In October of 2007, Medtronic, Inc., the nation's largest heart implant device manufacturer, announced a defect in a critical electrical wire used in its heart defibrillator. A fracture in the wire, called the Sprint Fidelis® lead, may cause the defibrillator to misread heart rhythms and in turn send unnecessary, painful shocks to the patient or even fail to provide a life-saving shock. Reports indicate that hundreds of malfunctions and five deaths are potentially linked to defective Sprint Fidelis® leads. According to a warning released by Medtronic, the defective electrical lead has had the potential to additionally effect up to 5,000 patients since its introduction in 2004. The company has stopped the sale of the Sprint Fidelis® lead and has recalled all components not in use. Medtronic will also pay for replacements for defective leads and $800 toward medical expenses.
The Motley Rice medical device litigation team is currently investigating cases involving injury resulting from Medtronic Sprint Fidelis® leads. For details or updates on this case please contact attorney Fred Thompson (SC) at +1 800.768.4026.
About Motley Rice LLC
Motley Rice LLC is one of the nation's largest plaintiffs' litigation firms. Motley Rice attorneys gained global recognition for their pioneering work on behalf of asbestos and mesothelioma victims, the historic litigation against the tobacco industry and the representation of the 9/11 families in their groundbreaking lawsuit against terrorist financiers. The firm's attorneys represent individuals that have been injured by pharmaceutical drugs, defective medical devices, medical malpractice, nursing home abuse and neglect and tainted tissue and bone implants. The firm currently serves as co-lead counsel and liaison counsel for over 100 cases in the Composix® Kugel® Mesh multidistrict litigation in Rhode Island federal court and on multiple plaintiffs' steering committees in cases of medical drug or device multidistrict litigation.