Witt v. Stryker Corporation of Michigan et al

Filing 28

ORDER Denying 23 Motion to Dismiss and Directing Defendant to Answer. Signed by Senior Judge James Lawrence King on 3/28/2014. (jw)

UN I
TED STATES D I
STRI T CO U RT
C
SO UTH ERN D ISTR I O F FLO R I A
CT
D
M I M ID I
A
VISIO N
CA SE N O .13- vc 20742JLK

SAND RA W I
TT,
Pl ntf ,
ai i f

HOW M EDI O STEON I CO RP.
CA
CS
,
a Xe Jer e cor aton d/ /
w s y por i
ba
Styke Or ho di
r r t pae cs,
,

Def
endant
.
/
O R DER DEN YI G M O TI N TO DISM I AN D
N
O
SS

DI
RECTI DEFENDANT TO ANSW ER
NG
TH I CAU SE c es bef e t Cour upon Def ndant s M oton t Di m i s
S
om
or he
t
e
'
i o s s

Pli ifs Se o Am e e Co an ( E.23 ,tl d Fe uay 3,2 4. The Co ti
antf
c nd
nd d mplit D. ) se br r
01
ur s
f l bre e on t i s . l Upon r vi of t r d and car ul cons der i t
uly i f d
he s ue
e ew
he ecor
ef
i aton, he
Cour fndst tt M oton s
t
ha he
i houl be deni
d
ed.
L BA CK G R O UN D

Thi i a me c l p o cs la lt a ton aii o t of a ij y Pli if
ss
dia r du t ibiiy ci rsng u
n nur antf
al
legedl s f r i connec i w ih t i pl nt ton ofa a tt a knee m a a ur
y uf e ed n
ton t he m a a i
n risci l
nuf ct ed
by D e e
f ndant Se D . 21. The ope a i pl di i t s cas i t Se
. e E.
r tve ea ng n hi
e s he cond Am ended
ousy s s
he
ai
he
Co an (ç S C, D. 21 . The Courtprevi l di m i sed t Compl ntand t
mplit ihe A ' E. )
t
'

Fis Ame de Compli wih tprj ie f f iur t sae a c am.D. 1 ,2
rt
n d
ant t ou e ud c or a l e o tt l i
E. 5 0.
1Pl ntf fl a Res e i Opposii on Febr y 21
ai if ied
pons n
ton
uar

,

I rh 3 2 4( E. 7)
dac , 01 D. 2 .

201 ( E. t whihDe e da Re ido
4 D. 26) o c f n nt ple n

D ef ndantnow m ovest dim i st SA C The e ar onl t o count CountIf Sti t
e
o s s he
r e y w
s:
or r c
.

Li lt D ef tve D esgn a Count1 f N eglgence.
abiiy
ec i
i nd
1 or
i
l .LEG A L STAND AR D
I

l de di a m oton t di m i s t Cour m us acce a com pl nt salega i as
n ci ng
i o s s , he
t t
pt
ai ' l tons

tte a c tue t
r l nd onsr hem i t lghtm os f a e t t Pl ntf . See M r P v.D ekal
n he i
t avor bl o he ai i f
:
b

C?y'Sc Dit,4 F. 1 5 ,11 6 ( 1h Ci.2 ) k n a l i t s sc e y of
7 . h. s 46 3d 1 3 5 1 t r 006 . s nayzng he uf inc
l

t c an , ghe Co r) lmigj (tl c nsd rto t t welpla d fcua
he omplit t
u t i ts is o ie ain o he l- e de a t l
alegatons docum ent centalt or r e e
l i ,
s
r o
ef r nced i t c pl i , a matr j diily
n ht om ant nd tes u cal

no ie 'La Gr sa v Fis Un o S c, nc, F. 8 ,8 ( 1h Ci. 00 .
tc d.
'
a t . r t i n e .I .358 3d 40 45 1 t r 2 4)
A c pl i m us cont n s ta pl n s a e e soft gr
om a nt
t
ai hor nd ai t t m nt
he ounds f r t cour'
o he
ts

j id ci o t c us ofa ton,a d oft e r le s ug t Fe R.Ci P.8 a . Un r
urs iton, f he a e c i n
h eif o h . d.
v. ( ) de
t hei ened pl ng s a ds s t f t by t Supr m e Coul i Bel At.Cor v
he ght
eadi t ndar e orh
he
e
' n
t
l l
p.

T mb e 55 U. 5 4 ( 00 a As r. vI b ,5 6 U. 66 ( 01 ,he e mus be
wo ly, 0 S. 4 2 7) nd hc o t q al 5 S. 2 2 0) t r
f
t
' n ug fc st sa e a c am t r le t ti plusbl o (he f c ' oft c mpl it
s o h a t o t t l i o e if ha s a i e n t l a e' he o an .
e
T
wom bly, 550 U . a 570. A pl ntf m us pl s fci nt f s t s
e
S. t
ai if
t ead ufi e act o how r i a
elef nd
tm or t l l and concl i .a f m ul c r cia i oft el m e s ofa ca e of
' e han abe s
C
us ons.. or ai e t ton
he e nt
us
a i w ilnotdo.' d.
cton l
'1
1 1 ANA LYSIS
1.

6.
Count1 St i tLi biiv
: rc a lt
Unde Fl i l w ,t m a a ur r of a def ctve pr
r or da a he nuf ct e
e i
oduct ca be hel s rc l
n
d ti ty

la l f ij r $ft ma uf c u e ma e t pr du ti q si n,i t pr uc h s a
ib e or n u y C he n a t r r d he o c n ue to f he od t a
i
2

def t t r r i unr as
ect ha ende s t
e onabl dange ous and i t unr ona y da
y
r ,
f he
eas bl
nger
ous

c ndiin i te p oxmaec us oft plitf sij r 'J n n s v B1C Cor , 181
o to s h r i t a e he anif nu y. e nig
'
p.
.

F.d 1 0,1 5 ( 1h Ci.1 99 . De e da mo s t dimis t a t r h s n b e
3 25 25 1 t r 9 ) f n nt ve o s s h t he e a ot e n
s fc entpl ng ofa def ctt tr nde st arii alknee unr ona y da r .
ufi i
eadi
e ha e r he tfci
eas bl nge ous

The SA C sat t tt kne w as def i and unr onabl da r S aus
t es ha he e
ectve
eas
y nge ous ç
bec e
t pr t i w as da r t an e e be
he oshes s
nge ous o
xt nt yond t whi h woul be cont pl e by
hat c
d
em at d
t or nar cons er' D .E.21 a !1 Fu t r i i al g d t tt k e û o ane
he di y
um .'
t 2. rhe , t s le e ha he ne s nti d
c

unr as bl da
e ona y nger desgn def t s ast pot ntaloft Knee t l e afer
ous i
ec s uch
he e i
he
o oos n t
bei i a ed,l ng t f l e oft Fem or Com ponent and w as not r ona y
ng mpl nt eadi o aiur
he
al
eas bl
,
s e as i e
af
nt nded t be use .' d a !1
o
d. .' t 2A. Cou e wi t s i t alga i t a
1
pld t hi s he le ton h t
h
.

Pl ntf w a di
ai if s agnos w ih S oos rghtknee pr t i due t f l e oft X - a l
ed t s e i
l
oshes s
o aiur
he sm l
Ri M edi /ef Lat alEI S K neeFe or lCom pone . . .'f a !3
ght
all t er
U
m a
nt ' #. t 4.
The c ii l a tons t t oper tve pl ng a e t a l tons of t f or l
rtca ddii
o he
ai
eadi r he lega i
he em a
component Pr ousy,t pl ng onl s a ed t t kne w as def tve bec
. evi l he eadi
y t t hat he
e
ec i
ause i
t

I e
oos ned. The Cour or r Pl ntf t m ake Ss fc alegatonsast t c pone s
t de ed ai if o
specii l i
o he om
nt
whi Pl ntf aleges ar def tve a how t e com pone s ar def tve.' D . 20
ch ai if l
e ec i nd
hos
nt e ec i ' E.
1 5. I t SAC,Pl ntf ha adde t por i oft pr t i whi i alege t be
t
t
n he
ai if s
d he ton
he oshes s ch s l d o
del tve - ie., t f or com ponentz D ef nda i now a a e of t s fc
' i
ec
he em al
.
e nt s
w r
he pecii
.
com pone w hi i aleged t c ea e a def tve pr t s s.
nt ch s l
o r t
ec i
os he i

2 The Cour does not fnd com peli Def
t
i
lng
endants ar
' gument t t Pl ntf onl aleged t Femor
ha ai if y l
he
al
Com ponentif l 'and di notpl i wasçdef tve.'Seee. D. 27 at2. Ther a e no m agi wor
ûaied'
d
ead t
û ec i '
g. E.
er
c ds
3

B.Countl N ezlzence
I:
i

To pr neglgenc a pl ntf mus ale t tt def
ove
i e, ai if
t l ge ha he endantow ne t pl ntf
d he ai if
a dut t def
y, he endantbr hed t tdut , a t br h caus t pl ntf s da ages
eac
ha
y nd he eac
ed he ai if
m
.
Se Baie v Jans n Pharmaceutc , I c,288 F.
e ly .
se
ia n .
App' 5 ,60 ( 1h Ci.20 ) Fl .
x 97 9 1 t r 08 ; a

De 'o Co r ci sv Ab i 96 So.d201 20 -05( a 20 )
p t f r e ton . rl 9 2
,
, 4 Fl. 07 .
A pr
oduc m a ac ur r û sundera dut t user sona e ca e t desgn a pr
t nuf t e i
i
y o
ea
bl r o i
oduct
t i r s
hat s ea onabl s e f is i e
y af or t nt nded us a f ot us w hi a e f es eabl
e nd or her es
ch r or e y
pr
obabl ' Vi
e.' ncentv. C. Ba 4 I . 94 So. 1 ,1 5 ( a Dit Ct Ap 2 6)
#
r nc, 4 2d 083 08 Fl . s. . p. 00
.

(ntr l q tto o te . Pl itf alge t t De e n ma a t r d a d
i ena uo ai ns mitd)
an if le s ha f nda t nuf cu e n
diti ed t arisci kne t was us d i he s ge y and t t knee was us i
srbut he tt al e hat
e n r ur r
hat he
ed n

t ma ne f rwh c i wa it n d.D. 21 a ! 49,5 'hus De e a tsd y i
he n r o i h t s n e de E. t !
0. r , f nd n ' ut s
s c e l pl
um i nty ed.
Pl ntf pl ds t t Def ndantbr ched t dut i f ii t exer s due ca e
ai if ea ha
e
ea
he y i a lng o
by
ci e
r
unde t cicum s a s' a t tD ef ntkne or s d ha know n of t knee'
r he r
t nce ' nd ha
enda
w
houl ve
he
s
pr nst t l e and oft f or com ponents f iur 1 a :6 6 De e a ts
ope iy o oos n
he em al
' a l e. d t 4, 2. f nd n '
.

a l d m anuf ct i of an arii i l kne whi l e and ha a f uly f m or l
lege
a urng
tfc a
e
ch oos ns
s
a t e a
com pone i a s fci alegaton ofbr h ofDef ndant sdut t m a a r s
nt s ufi ent l i
eac
e
'
y o ke ea onabl
y
s e pr
af oduc . The SAC pl
t
eads a
dequa e f ct t gi rs t t alege br h
t a s hat ve ie o he l d eac

.

Caus i a dam age a e s fci nty alege by pl ng t t D ef nts
aton nd
s r uf e l l d
eadi ha
enda '
s fc act w ih r r t t knee i pl ed i Pl ntf a t knee' f or
pecii
s t ega d o he
m ant n ai if nd he
s em al
neces ar t pr l pl a cas Pl ntf has made a pl bl s
s y o opery ead
e; ai if
ausi e howi t an arii alknee wih a
ng hat
tfci
t
ï
bmor componentt tf l i def i
al
ha ais s ectve.
4

com pone ca ed Pl ntf t s f m edi condii a i ur expens and l s
nt us
ai if o ufer
cal
tons nd nc
es
os es

.

1 .a !
d t 65
l CO N CLU SI N
V.
O
A c di y,upon a ca ef r vi of t r or a t Cour bei ot rwie
cor ngl
r ul e ew
he ec d nd he
t ng he s
f l advi e i i OR DERED,A DJU D GED ,and DECR EED t tD ef ntsM oton
uly
s d, t s
ha
enda '
i

t DimisPli tf Se o Ame e Co an ( E. b ,a t s me i,he e y
o s s a n ifs c nd
nd d mpli t D. 23) e nd he a s r b
D ENI . D ef nt SH ALL ans er t Second Am ended Com pl nt wihi t ent
ED
enda
w
he
ai
t n w y

( )da oft e d t o t sOr r
20 ys h ae f hi de .

DO NE and O RD ER ED i Cha ber a t Ja esLa r
n
m s t he m
w ence Ki Feder J tce
ng
al us i

Buidi and Unied St t Court e,M i m i Fl i t s 28 h da ofM ar 201
l ng
t
a es
hous
a , orda hi t y
ch, 4.

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M ES LA W REN CE K I G
N
I
TED STATES DI
STRI
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SOU THERN D I
STRI OF FLORI A
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