Court Decertifies Class |Of Silzone-Valve Patients

ST. LOUIS (CN) - The 8th Circuit reversed certification of a nationwide class of patients implanted with faulty Silzone prosthetic heart valves on the grounds that the case presented too many individual differences to be tried as a class action.

"This case exemplifies the difficulty with class treatment of cases alleging fraud or misrepresentation," the court wrote, because each patient and treating doctor learned about the bad valves in different ways.

Studies have shown that the Silzone valve, made by St. Jude Medical Inc., increases the risk of paravalvular leakage.

Subscribe to Closing Arguments

Sign up for new weekly newsletter Closing Arguments to get the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and hot cases and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world.

Email *

Submit