Majority of Claims in St. Jude Riata Lead Cases Preempted, Minn. Federal Judge Rules

MINNEAPOLIS — A majority of state law claims brought against St. Jude Medical Inc. in connection with its Riata defibrillator lead are preempted because they do not allege that the manufacturer violated federal requirements, a Minnesota federal judge has ruled in three lawsuits.

On June 24, Judge Patrick J. Schiltz of the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota awarded St. Jude summary judgment on all of the plaintiffs’ claims except their claim that St. Jude did not did not comply with approved methods and specifications for sterilizing. This claim did not fall within the scope of St. Jude’s …