Medical Device Ruling Could Affect Liability Lawsuits

The Supreme Court's ruling in the Riegel v. Medtronic case that FDA approval of certain medical devices protects manufacturers from product liability lawsuits filed in state courts could affect several product liability cases for medical devices, including those involving Johnson & Johnson's Cypher drug-eluting stent, Medtronic's recalled Sprint Fidelis defibrillator leads and St. Jude Medical's recalled silver-coated heart valves.

• "Medical Device Ruling Redraws Lines on Lawsuits" (Feder, New York Times, 2/22).