Massachusetts Top Court Asked to Define Law in Heart Valve Case

Jan. 12, 2022, 5:31 PM UTC

Massachusetts’ top court was asked by a federal appeals court to answer a state-law question that will determine whether a couple’s claims against Sorin Group USA Inc. and affiliated companies are blocked by federal medical device law.

William Plourde and Freda Merrill had a daughter, Allison Plourde, in 1991. She was born with a chromosomal disorder associated with heart defects. In June 2012, the girl’s doctor implanted a Mitroflow Model LX heart valve in her body.

In January 2014, Allison needed emergency surgery to remove the Mitroflow valve and replace it with a different type. She never regained consciousness and ...

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