Minnesota News Channel Airs Bridget Robb's Story

In Minnesota, where Medtronic is located, listeners heard the horrific events of Bridget Robb retold before the Senate Judiciary Committee. I can tell you firsthand that Ms. Robb is one of the bravest people I know. Invited to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee by Senator Leahy, her main goal is to help others and to make sure that the terrible events of the morning of December 31, do not happen to others. During her testimony, Ms. Robb recounted the terror she experienced after being shocked 31 times due to a fractured Sprint Fidelis lead manufactured by Medtronic.

Ms. Robb's story is just one of many stories told where individuals have been severely harmed by dangerous products placed into the stream of commerce by big businesses that are more focused on profits than safety.

If you click on the title above, you will view a clip of Bridget testifying on June 11. We hope to continue this fight in an effort to make serious change. The law, as it stands, is not consumer friendly and flies in the face of people's fundamental rights to have their case heard in court.

Plaintiffs Obtain $240 Million Revised Settlement In Guidant Defibrillators Product Liability Litigation

On November 19, 2007, it was announced that an amended settlement agreement has been obtained on behalf of 8,550 patient plaintiffs who asserted claims against Guidant Corporation, Boston Scientific Corporation and other entities (hereinafter collectively referred to as, the "Defendants"). The plaintiffs had claimed that Defendants knowingly sold them inherently defective defibrillator devices with potential life-threatening defects over a period of three years. The amended settlement expands a prior agreement obtained in July 2007, which had provided for a recovery of $195 million to settle over 5,600 claims. After additional injured patients stepped forward, the agreement was amended to provide up to $240 million in compensation. The settlement hopes to encompass most of the pending claims.


Claudine Q. Homolash heads her firm's heart device litigation representing clients who have suffered physical and emotional injuries as a result of the implantation of a recalled Guidant defibrillator and/or pacemakers.

Recall of Medtronic Sprint Fidelis Lead Wires Exceed 250,000 Worldwide

On October 15, 2007, Medtronic issued a recall of its Sprint Fidelis defibrillator leads as a result of at least five patient deaths in which a lead fracture may have been a contributing cause. Sprint Fidelis Leads are certain models of cardiac electrodes (thin wires) that connect an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) or cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator (CRT-D) directly to the heart. The recalled leads have been implanted in over 200,000 patients since 2004. Most patients with Medtronic defibrillators since 2004, and most patients who received Medtronic defibrillators since then have these leads. A small number of Sprint Fidelis leads are also used with defibrillators made by manufacturers other than Medtronic.

Medtronic estimates a 2.3 percent failure rate in patients with the Sprint Fidelis lead, or 4000 to 5000 people, will experience a lead fracture within 30 months of the device implantation. Replacement of the lead is a serious and delicate procedure which is far more dangerous than replacing the device itself because the lead wires are thread into the interior chamber of the heart.

Generally, patients with heart devices are issued device identification cards that will contain information about their heart device and leads. Patients can check this wallet card for the model number to see if their leads are under recall. The recalled leads are Sprint Fidelis Lead Model Nos. 6930, 6931, 6948 and 6949. These numbers may be shown at the beginning of a longer set of numbers on a patient's identification card.

Complaints against the company allege that a design defect is responsible for the lead fractures. The complaints also allege that Medtronic failed to act timely in recalling the lead as it has known of a large number of failures of the device since at least the end of 2006.

If you would like additional information regarding the aforementioned recall, or would like to speak to an attorney regarding bringing a potential case against Medtronic associated with the implantation of a Sprint Fidelis lead, please contact me directly.

Claudine Q. Homolash has successfully represented hundreds of patients across America who received faulty or recalled medical devices, including implantable cardiac defibrillators and pacemakers.