Claims Against St. Jude in Heart Valve Case Preempted, Minn. Appeals Court Affirms

MINNEAPOLIS — Manufacturing defect claims brought against St. Jude Medical in a heart valve wrongful death case are federally preempted because they seek to impose general requirements that are different from or in addition to federal device-specific requirements, a Minnesota appeals court affirmed.

On Feb. 19, the Minnesota Court of Appeals further found the claims against St. Jude are time barred under the state’s statute of limitations, which was triggered when the device was manufactured prior to 1988.

Thomas Lamere died in September 2007 while working in his backyard. His trustee, Barbara A. Lamere, claims that Thomas' death was caused …