Metronic, Inc. has announced that it has agreed to settle lawsuits regarding its Sprint Fidelis defibrillator leads (Models: 6930,6931, 6948, and 6949) for $268 million. Many of the Sprint Fidelis lawsuits had arisen from the October 2007 Sprint lead recall that had been prompted by reports that the defibrillator leads were fracturing. The fractures caused the leads to malfunction. Many of those who had implanted Sprint Fidelis defibrillator leads had to undergo explantation of the leads as a result of the fractured leads. The fractured leads caused the defibrillators to short and not transmit proper electric impulses to the heart.
According to a Medtronic press release, the parties will file joint requests to terminate the Multi-District Litigation which had been set up to handle all of the Sprint Fidelis lawsuits.