Expert Testimony Admitted in Bair Hugger MDL; Summary Judgment Denied

MINNEAPOLIS — The judge overseeing the Bair Hugger Forced Air Warming Device federal docket has denied the parties’ cross-motions to exclude expert testimony as to whether the device can cause infections in orthopedic implant surgery patients, ruling that it meets Rule 702 requirements.

In a Dec. 13 order, Judge Joan N. Ericksen of the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota also denied defendants’ motion for summary judgment, which relied entirely upon the exclusion of plaintiffs’ expert testimony.

Plaintiffs in the multidistrict litigation allege the Bair Hugger Forced Air Warming Device, manufactured by 3M Co. and Arizant Healthcare Inc., …