Minn. Federal Judge Dismisses St. Jude Heart Valve Case, Says Claims Preempted

MINNEAPOLIS — A Minnesota federal judge has dismissed a St. Jude Medical mechanical heart valve action with prejudice, saying the claims are expressly preempted because they seek to impose state law requirements that are “in addition to, or different from” federal law.

In a Sept. 6 order, Chief Judge Tunheim of the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota further agreed with the magistrate judge that any potential claim of medical fraud was not sufficiently pled.

David Reed received a St. Jude Medical mechanical heart valve on Dec. 13, 2011. By the end of 2016, however, he began to …