Abbott Labs Eludes Kentucky State-Law Claims in Heart Valve Suit

Abbott Laboratories Inc. won’t have to defend against state-law products liability claims involving an allegedly defective heart valve because they’re preempted by federal law, a court said.

Ronald Luckey couldn’t proceed with his strict liability, negligence, breach of express and implied warranties, and failure to warn suit, the US District for the Eastern District of Kentucky ruled Thursday. He didn’t demonstrate that the claims fell within a narrow exception to the Medical Device Amendments to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, Judge Danny C. Reeves said .

The MDA created a detailed federal oversight process for medical devices that ...