3M Holds Onto Win in Bair Hugger Warming Blanket Test Trial

3M Co. held onto a trial win Tuesday in a lawsuit by a man who alleged he developed an infection from its Bair Hugger warming system used during hip replacement surgery, as the Eighth Circuit rejected evidentiary challenges in light of the jury’s finding that the device didn’t cause the harm.

Louis and Lillian Gareis raised various claims against 3M and its unit Arizant Healthcare Inc. Only their strict-liability design-defect claim went to trial.

A jury found that the couple failed to prove that the Bair Hugger was unreasonably dangerous or that a reasonable safer alternative design existed. They also ...