A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision may have a significant impact on the future of major medical device and pharmaceutical lawsuits.  The Court decided that a lawsuit against Medtronic, Inc. was improper based on the fact that the FDA oversight for acceptable adverse effect and outcome rates should not be second guessed in the courts.

Read more of this LA Times article here.

Supporters of the Court’s decision say that the pace of lawsuits against medical device manufacturers was fast approaching the point that they were stifling innovation in the marketplace.  Detractors argue that the current tort system provides oversight and discovery of industry cover-ups.  They might be right considering the recent revelations I discussed regarding drug companies covering up adverse reactions and effectiveness studies in favor of making money in higher sales.

This protection may be extended to include pharmaceutical companies since the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear a case in October concerning Wyeth Pharmaceuticals and a lawsuit against one of their products.