Conn. Federal Judge Remands Medtronic Implantable Fusion System Lawsuit, Says Court Lacks Jurisdiction

HARTFORD, Conn. — A Connecticut federal judge has remanded a lawsuit against Medtronic involving its SynchroMed II Implantable Fusion System, ruling that the court lacks federal-question jurisdiction because the claims do not raise a substantial issue of federal law.

In an Aug. 10 order, Judge Vanessa L. Bryant of the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut further ruled that the plaintiff has pled a viable strict liability claim against the nondiverse hospital defendant and therefore it was not fraudulently joined.

Michael Mihok was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2000. In an effort to manage his symptoms, he underwent …