Bair Hugger MDL Closed; Judge Excludes Experts, Awards 3M Summary Judgment

MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota federal judge overseeing the Bair Hugger Warming Devices multidistrict litigation docket has awarded 3M summary judgment on claims that the device can cause periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) after excluding the opinions of plaintiffs’ engineering and medical experts.

On Aug. 1, Judge Joan N. Ericksen of the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota effectively closed the MDL docket after finding the plaintiffs failed to prove causation.

“Whether the Bair Hugger is capable of causing PJI is a medically complex question outside of lay jurors’ knowledge and experience,” the judge explained. “Because Plaintiffs’ claims arise from …